Swire stands to the side and polishes his chipped cold iron dagger.
Karrin smiles to herself as the others gather. She suddenly starts talking at no one in particular.
"See what I'm thinking is that cuz these lizards are going up into fey country and cuz these potions are made from stolen charisma I thinking that this might be some kind of evil fey tools. I mean the folks that were attacked drained and affected could have had fey blood in them and the folks that drank the potions and had those negative side affects clearly didn't have any fey blood in them. So what I'm thinking is that these potions are designed by the fey for the fey. I mean if those sorts of results in the square happened every time then these potions would be practically useless and nobody would risk their lives tying to collect stuff for them."
Justin listens to Karrin's hypothesis with a serious straight face. Starts to open his mouth, then closes it with a snap.
"Actually. You might be right. Maybe not about everything, I mean the lizards wouldn't have sold the fishmongers the potions if they thought it wouldn't work on them,... BUT,... they ARE headed straight for the Fae-lands, and Fae magics work more more on force of personality than study,..." He muses.
"I find it entirely possible that they COULD be 'primarily' collecting beauty-Essence-potions for their Fae clients, and had enough that they thought they could make a few extra coins from selling them. Or perhaps they were just out of coin, and used it for barter cause they needed the supplies?" He asks the group in general. "That was what the fish-wife said, wasn't it?"
"But that means that it was the Fae behind the essence-thefts, and the lizards are just hirelings for the job. Interesting."
She listened quietly as her friends expounded on different theories as they prepared to depart. It was times like these when she wished she'd spent more time studying. But there were always so many people to help. She surreptitiously fed a piece of jerky to Seph while Merle was distracted with the tracking. She didn't want to offend Merle, but Seph was her friend too and he'd been licking his lips ever since he first smelled the stuff.
Seph happily gobbles down the jerky
The group buys a few last-minute things and sets off down the path to the fabled realm of the Celtic powers. The path is wide and well-tended as they head out, winding over a saddle in the nearby mountain chain. Direction is hard to figure without a sun to reckon by, but there are frequent stelae pointing the proper way.
Issac is able to find traces of the Khaasta's mounts as they travel, but they seem to be putting some distance between them. He estimates that they are three days ahead by the age of the occasional track he discovers.
*several days pass*
The trip is uneventful for the first three days. The scenery changes little. The mountainside is often carved with dwarvish statuary and there are sometimes amll villages along the road with petitioners. Each night there is an inn the group can stop in.
The fourth day, they seem to pass an invisible boundary. The road becomes less well-tended. The various statues that had kept them company during their travels thin and disappear. The squat well-made buildings that had occasionally dotted the trail also thin and disappear. The landscape become more wild and untamed.
The light begins to fade on the fourth day as the group approaches a small flat camping area off the path. There is a firepit, well used, and some dried wood stacked along the side. A small nearby waterfall dances off the mossy rock. They have descended in elevation somewhat, and the surrounding area is thick deciduous forest.
Isaac looks about for tracks, this time of anything that's passed through the area recently in the hopes of knowing what to prepare for. He'll also take a look at the geography and try to figure out where in Tir Na Og they may be.
Survival (tracking):
Perception:
Knowledge (the planes):
Justin also looks around the campsite, paying attention to the woodpile, the ashes in the firepit, etc, instead of tracks and such that he knows nothing about.
Isaac looks about for tracks, this time of anything that's passed through the area recently in the hopes of knowing what to prepare for. He'll also take a look at the geography and try to figure out where in Tir Na Og they may be.
Survival (tracking): 1d20+10
Perception: 1d20+14
Knowledge (the planes): 1d20+8
Issac:
Justin also looks around the campsite, paying attention to the woodpile, the ashes in the firepit, etc, instead of tracks and such that he knows nothing about.
1d20=+6; 1d20+12
Justin:
"So any idea if we are gaining on them?"
"I'm not certain Merle. If they stopped here, This fire was last used at least several days ago. Isaac, I'm no expert on tracks, But this print here, it looks more barbed to me, not reptilian. What could make a track like this?" Justin points to a faint but clear track in the dirt near the cold firepit.
Isaac looks over the track, trying to puzzle out what might have made it.
Knowledge (the planes):
"Well, cutter, I don't reckon we're catchin' 'em up. All the tracks I've scanned are a few cycles old. They're mounted, we ain't, it's that simple. We gotta beat feet if we want any hope o' overtaking them. We don't start pushin' harder, they'll give the Outlands the laugh and that'll be that. We oughtta keep moving."
"We're in a border land in Tir Na Og; no Powers claim this area which is why it's overrun. We'll start hittin' Celtic pantheon territory before long."
Issac:
As Issac looks over the print a weird howling noise alerts the party that something is amiss. Down the rugged side of the mountain several large corpulent figures begin hopping and jiggling in a mad dash towards the campsite. Naked except for a bandoleer and holding no weapons but some fearsome claws, these bloated, nasty beings rush the party. These beings are a common sight in Hellgate in the Cage, the footsoldiers of the Abyss, the Dretch. Five are currently howling their way down the mountain's side.
Merle takes a potshot at them with her wand of lightning bolt trying to get a couple of them
(5d6) reflex of 13 for half
"That's a babau's print, cutters. Watch the flank!"
Isaac pulls out his frost-rimed greatsword and scans the area for anything sneaking up on the party.
Perception:
Drazek takes aim at one of the hideous piles of flesh.
Nari pulls out a long stem of crystal. Her eyes glow briefly and the crystal flashes in answer.
Swire reaches into his cloak and pulls out a thin sliver of red metal and throws it at the oncoming dretches.
"Perfect!" Justin almost growls happily as he yanks a bit of smelly stuff from a pocket.
"I've been burning to see what I can do with this!" He smiles, and casts a spell.
The tiny ball of fire flies from his hand towards the oncoming dretches, and blossoms into a fireball almost twice as loud as you might be expecting.
"Better than bowling for Dire Rats!" The mage declares, watching the glow of his spell.
Karrin draws her axe and moves between the dretches and her spell casters.
Bethany turns her nose up at the disgusting creatures, as she pulls her Footbow out and draws and arrow to nock once she's arirborne. Lifting off from the ground with a jump, she soars overhead above the party and takes aim at the foul beasts.
"That's a babau's print, cutters. Watch the flank!"
Isaac pulls out his frost-rimed greatsword and scans the area for anything sneaking up on the party.
Perception: 1d20+14
Issac doesn't spot anything at the moment. The surrounding vegetation looks quiet
"Better than bowling for Dire Rats!" The mage declares, watching the glow of his spell.
The globe of fire expands in Justin's hands and streaks out, becoming a large fiery orb that detonates on the side of the mountain, engulfing three of the scattered dretches in flame. None fall, but they look scortched, howling and hopping to the campsite with their large ears smouldering.
Merle takes a potshot at them with her wand of lightning bolt trying to get a couple of them
(5d6) reflex of 13 for half
Merle's bolt lights up two of them, but the electrical power doesn't seem to faze them in the slightest. They lope on, relentless.
Drazek takes aim at one of the hideous piles of flesh.
1d20+8
2d6+1
Drazek speaks a profane Word and points. A ray of deepest ebon springs from his long, outstretched fingers, pinioning one of the beasts. It howls, its doughy skinn sagging and decaying with cancerous lesions
1d20
Swire reaches into his cloak and pulls out a thin sliver of red metal and throws it at the oncoming dretches.
1d20+10;1d4+3
As the dretches approach closer, Swire tosses his thin blade at one of the dretches singed by Justin's spell. The small throwing dagger appears if by magic in one squinting red eye. The beast falls to the ground, leaking noisome ichor.
Isaac dives around the dretch at takes a swing with his greatsword.
Acrobatic:
+1 Frost Greatsword:
Merle's bolt lights up two of them, but the electrical power doesn't seem to faze them in the slightest. They lope on, relentless.Merle takes a potshot at them with her wand of lightning bolt trying to get a couple of them
(5d6) reflex of 13 for half
"Oh that is not good." Merle mumbles to herself as she attempts another spell on the creatures
Casting magic missile on the nearest Dretch
Nari fires an arrow at the nearest Dretch, expending her psionic focus to add a little something extra to the shot.
[ooc]No where else to go without provoking an AoO, so yes. Also, delaying until after Isaac to get a flank.
Swire draws his rapier and lunges at the dretch, stabbing viciously.
"Someone take two O'clock!" Karrin shouts to her warriors, meaning she wants someone to block the northern most Dretch, "I got these two!"
Karrin takes a 5' step so she's in chopping range of the two and takes a massive swing:
Power attack:
Cleave (if first attack hits):
"Say hello," Karrin snarls as she axe hisses through the air in a dangerous ark, "to my little friend!"
At first considering firing a bolt of flame, Ekuur instead decides that the opportunity for a little hand-to-hand combat is too good to resist. He speaks a quick command, causing his trikal to burst into flame. He lashes out at the closest dretch.
attack
damage
Justin nods at Karrn's words, (knowing full well she can't SEE him behind her!) And steps slightly to one side to get a clear shot past her at the last approaching Dretch.
Raising his hands, he casts a familiar, almost simple spell. But the basic fire charm, magnified by his own arcane energies, as well as the enchantments of his gloves and magical amulet, pour forth a almost arm-thick beam of fire at the oncoming Dretch!
Initiative Rd 1:
Dretches: 17
Mr. Swire: 14 [hit M19]
Issac: 13 [Hit M19]
Merle: 10 [mm I20]
Karrin: 9 [Hit K20]
Justin: 9 [fire O15]
Drazek: 9 [hit I20]
Naridre: 9 [hit I20]
Bethany: 9 [pending]
Ekuur: 6 [miss O15]
Tiandra: 6 [hit O15]
As the demonic horrors get closer, a rolling wave of stench preceeds them, making the party gag
The short, squat bloated goblin-like creatures moan and whip their enlogated claws at the party. The filthy bone daggers hiss through the air as they strike:
Attacks:
Issac:
Tiandra:
Issac receives a glancing blow, as does Tiandra. The remaining claws scrabble on armor or miss altogether
Fort save
Merle gets a good strong whiff of the smell with her sensitive nose and begins to gag
Fort save
Seph does his best to take take up a defensive position next to the gagging Merle
Fort save
Though the scent is horrible, it's nothing Ekuur hasn't smelled before. A dead kank sitting under Athas' sun for a day or two, before it dries, comes pretty darn close ...
Fort
"You punks need a bath!" Karrin says between clenched teeth, "still could be a blood bath for you yet though!"
"These sum'b!~~%es smell like beholder ass"
Justin coughs and hacks, then spits.
"I wuz gonna say like Demon dung! Pretty close I suppose!" The wizard grumbles with watery eyes.
Fort 1d20+6
"You punks need a bath!" Karrin says between clenched teeth, "still could be a blood bath for you yet though!"
Initiative Rd 1:
Dretches: 17
Mr. Swire: 14 [hit M19]
Issac: 13 [Hit M19][@]
Merle: 10 [nauseated]
Karrin: 9 [Hit-kill K20/I20]
Justin: 9 [fire/melted O15]
Drazek: 9 [pending]
Naridre: 9 [hit M19][@]
Bethany: 9 [pending][@]
Ekuur: 6 [miss O15]
Tiandra: 6 [hit M19]
[@]-Pending DC 13 Fort ST
The wave of nauseating stink washes over the party, causing Merle's sensitive nose to go into spasms. The smell is thick enough to cut, like the stench of a battlefield three days later in high summer.
Swire's rapier pierces the flabby flesh of his opponent, drawing a foul ichor. The dretch howls like a lost soul, which presumably it is.
Karrin's icy axe whistles through the air and cuts a dretch's neck deeply. She whirls and plants Ferisirrion in its adjacent comrade, cleaving its skull in twain. Both dretches, already weakened by Justin's fireball, fall to the ground.
Justin mutters a few words in Ignan and Draconic. A searing lancet of fire erupts from his outstreched hand, catching the beast Ekuur and Tiandra face square in the brainbox. The miserable demon is wrapped in a caul of flame, it's horrid features running like cheap candlewax. It literally melts into a pile of noisome tallow.
Ekuur was reaying to hit his opponent when Justin's flame slams into it. The sudden appearance of so much holy fire startles him and leads his swing off a bit. Tiandra recovers and races for the dretch Issac and Swire fight. Her longsword stabs it, but it remains upright. Nari, seeing her target fall, also switches to the final dretch, her arrow flying swift and true.
Fortitude save:
Fortitude save: 1d20+5
The ripe cadaver stench gags the Godsman. He heaves a string of bile onto the ground, and is unable to bring his greatsword to bear.
Drezek's arm shootsforth, hurling a sizzling black bolt of energy at the creature rushing Isaac.