Rapier out, Jim tries to get a better look at the creature flying overhead. If it comes within range he'll take a shot at it.
Dingus casts Mage Armor on himself.
"Do you think it's aggressive, or just guarding it's nest". "Maybe if we just moved on it might leave us alone".
Grim countenance and pinched brow, Dibbs has a lightbulb moment.. "Feck me, iffin this issits nest, imagine the size ought the bloody eggs. Omelettes fer the lot of us!"
"The blood here on the wharf didn't get here by itself. I'm a thinking that bird o'doom had something to do about it. And now its come looking for another snack."
He brings his crossbow up to eye and squeezes off a shot.
Kaul reaches back a draws a javelin, then squints, aims and lets fly with a barb at the flapping elkburdy;
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:
Sigh.... "I see". "Shoot first investigate later".
"We can ask Jim iff'n it's a good kisser...or I can shoot it now.", as the Groom locks the next bolt into place.
"We are standing in dried pools of blood, and that thing is coming to investigate. I want to be the one shooting if given the option."
While Dibbets and Dingus cast warding spells to be on the safe side as the strange beast circles, the Groom doesn't care for it at all and relases a bolt that flies true and strikes the creature, but is quickly repelled from the queer creature's flesh. Kaul's javelin falls just short of the creature before it dives.
As it stoops directly toward the Groom, you get a better look at what appears to be some sick taxidermist's joke. The unnatural creature look as if a stag's head and forelimbs were attached to an eagle except this oddity is alive and has a mouth filled with wolf-like teeth in addition to its jagged antlers!
Round 2:
A warding gobbet of spit send sideways, Dibbs keeps his eyes on the stag-wolf-puppet and waits.
Round 2:
Jim notes the composite creature's resistance to the Groom's quarrel with disgust. Ah, feck. Another one of those. "Dingus, how's that wand of yours holding up?" As it drops within reach, though, he advances to meet it with a swift rapier thrust.
As the flying stag swoops past, Jim slashes with his blade and leaves a small scratch. the Groom, however, is gored by antlers hard enough to knock his hat off and he is filled with supernatural dread.
"What a shock". "We're in combat with something we haven't prepared for, and know nothing about". "Ahhh"! "The Pirate's life's for me". . With a crazed laugh, Dingus pulls his wand, steps to Kaul, and bestows his weapon of choice with Magic Weapon from the wand.
Richard nods his head in agreement.
"The cursed thing marked me! From the moment it saw us down here, it was determined to eat my heart...I got to find cover!"
The Groom runs past Dingus and Kaul to get into the water (let's say k-12). At least now presenting a smaller target to his demented pursuer.
Kaul presents his heavy cleaver for enchantment by Dingus, then hefting the glowing blade he eyes a chance to chop the stag-spirdie;
"Calm down Groomy - me and Bessie are comin'! Hur!
Round 3:
Shaking his head as their most steadfast mate is turned coward, Dibbs starts stumping toward him "Chin up Groomy, we'll take the fecker down afore he eats ye"
Round 3:
Jim circles around to try to set up a flanking shot for Kaul and takes another shot at the resistant beast, his thrust going wide of the mark as the creature flits past.
The crew scatters to find a vantage point against the flying terror. the Groom flees into the brine as soothing as mother's milk to the soggy sailor and begins to regain his composure. Kaul follows, wading knee deep and ready for the weirdling.
Jim takes another swing at the creature, but it flaps up above his blade, circles, and then perches on the dock whistling eerily at the Groom.
Dingus hustles to bestow a magical boon on Madman Jim's weapon.
"Let me get you guys useful, before I get to work with the vapor vipers, since it seems we're spoiling for a fight".
"Hur! How long Bessie's 'chantment lasting fer Dingus?"
The Groom calls down vengeance on the beast.
"Iff'n you want to eat my heart, you will find it saltly eating and full of vinegar"
He raises the crossbow above the water and fires a shot at the beast.
Dingus magics up Jim's weapon giving the edge a dangerous twinkle. the Groom offers his challenge and takes a shot which the winged beast leaps over. Kaul repositions to stand afore the Groom, ready for the flying monster's move.
Round 4:
The soggy crew hears a resignedly muttered "fecks sake, want summat done right ye gots tae do it yerself" before a twisted and scarred ball of tattooed fury lunges lopsidedly forward at the death deer jumping at the end of his short charge so as to try and get 'ol faithful somewhere near the bugger's head...
Toothpick charge: for
Acrobatics Jump:
...landing a well aimed though ultimately ineffectual blow. "Quit yappin an snot the bugger"
Round 4:
Seeing the healer entering harm's way, Jim vaults onto the dock and closes with the bizarre beastie.
Once more losing himself in the heat of battle, Dibbets bounds toward the strange being ferociously swinging his stick. Whether it was the crusty halfling's intention or not, he now has the chimeric creature's full attention even after Jim nimbly rushes to assist.
Rearing back on its powerful talons, the monster slashes with its antlers and kicks with its hooves, but fails to hit the breezy furball.
Dingus moves to d12 and unleashes the first of his ever reliable Vapor Vipers.
MM
Round 5:
Grinning maniacally Dibbs tries to dance around the beastie calling out "Up an attem Kauly, I'll gerrin behind 'im"...
Acrobatics:
the Groom takes another shot into the crowd growing on the wharf, making no move himself to get closer.
Smiting Judgement - Weapon counts as Magic for bypassing DR.
Round 4
Kaul sloshes towards the bird-beast and attempts to bring it down;
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:
Dingus blasts the beast with a pair of arcane vipers and the Groom fires from the water, but aims too high. Dibbets shouts tactics to Kaul as he cartwheels past, but not fast enough to avoid the sharp tines of the things antlers.
Once Dibbs is in place however, Kaul wades up behind the thing and lets Bess taste some veni-fowl. The thing hoots in pain as Jim makes his move.
Round 5:
As the mismatched monster bugles in pain from Kaul's blow, Jim takes advantage of its distraction and lands a (somewhat less effective) blow of his own.
Jim matches Kaul's great slash with a precise and telling poke of his own. Surrounded, the unnatural beast hops around Dibbets and vents its fury on the wounded halfling, but it is much weakened from the damage it has taken. Its raking antlers and sharp hoof deal minimal damage.
Round 5 First level Spell 3 of 6
Dingus hitches up another duo of Vapor vipers, and send them into the fray. Richard looks on wishing he could fly like they do.
VV
With a final pair of Vapor Vipers from Dingus, the chimeric creature collapses on the dock unmoving.
After sticking it one more time to make sure it's really dead, Jim looks around for any others. "Let's get to the tower sharpish, 'fore our spells wear off. Mayhap from there we can see if anyone lived through the beast's attack."
Dibbets gives a whoop of victory before collapsing hunched onto his knees with racking coughs as his punctured lung makes a wet sucking sound. Hacking up a bloody gobbet of spit onto the dock before his head rises to give a red rimned toothy grin. Dagger comes from his bandolier as he eyes the body of the franken-stag "Antler looks like she'd make a decent backscratcher..."
the Groom splashes up out of the water. "It felt like that thing stepped on my watery grave."
Nodding at Jim, "Aye lets move. Don't worry Dibs, I come back with ya to clean this carcass. I want to take a bite out of that thing's roasted heart."
He will pat Dibbet's shoulder giving him a watery blessing.
up to 16
up to 21
Walking after Jim, he will snap three bolts into the crossbow magazine.
Accepting the Groom's blessing and proposal Dibbets gets to stumping towards the tower "Any luck they'll have left some booze behind too..."
The crew moves quickly up the path to the ten foot high wall that surrounds the old fort and bell tower. The compound is easily entered as the gate has been forced. The shattered wood has bits of dried sea weed stuck to the splintered edges which is odd.
Following the path past the gardens and stunted fruit trees, you reach the front doors which also appear to have been battered in, but later set back up and barricaded with scrap lumber.
Dibbets stumps furiously after the longshanks that have streaked far ahead of him in their haste.
Jim pounds on the barricade. "Hoy! Anyone alive in there? Archimes?"
Jim's calls hang in the air unanswered along with the foul stench of something rotting.
the Groom picks at the vegetation on the gate. Lifting up a strip of seaweed. "The tide comes in a bit high round here."
Looking at the broken in door, "Not sure people would need to have barred a fort door against that creature or the tide." He makes sure a bolt is loaded into the crossbow. "Or that either could have broken that door in."
Jim shudders. "Aye, there's something unworldly happened here. Dingus, can you sniff anything out?" The Taldan sailor inspects the barricade to see if there's an easy way to take it down or get over/through it.
The barricade looks hurriedly thrown together and not particularly sturdy.
"Kaul, I think yon wall might be enhanced somewhat by an encounter with Mara. Have at, mate."
I'm sure Richard would be more than willing to go scout for us. "Maybe there is a crack he can sneak through, before we tear the place down". "I know we don't normally like to go into situations, with any information in advance, but maybe just this once".
Casts Detect magic through Richard just before he enters the building.