When the teams are revealed Saph comments on the mostly Halfling team. Hmmm, blue must be a halfling thing. I also totally love that mascot!
Well Faroris, I’d say the first rule is not to fall off. Saphina smiles and then continues to expand upon her hints. She is by no means an expert but she tries to help.
"Punch them in the head if they misbehave."
Faroris laughs a bit, and says, "I'll remember that, thanks."
Saphina downs the potion of animal friendship subtlely and then is ready to go.
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You are brought to the starting line, emerging from the pits into the streets of Port Nyanzaru.
A number of anxious bi-pedal dinosaurs leading chariots wait at a demarcated starting line. Climbing aboard, you can see the route ahead indicated by the ticker-tape flags strung to keep the crowd along the streets at bay. Shouting is barely audible over the crowd.
A hundred yards out, a gaggle of Chultan children with vivid-colored flags march single file across the track. Once in place, they watch the ramparts. The gnomes above gesticulate wildly to produce magically amplified trumpets.
The children quickly swing the flagpoles back and forth before rushing off the track, squealing and giggling. GO!
Following the others, Faroris looks around as they get outside, waving to the crowd with a smile.
After a moment, he climbs into his chariot, commenting, "This will probably be a bit easier to keep from falling off of."
As soon as the signal is given, and the track is clear of children, Faroris flicks the reins to start moving.
The reality of whats going on doesn't really sink into Scramsax's conscious until the screams of *go*. What the hell was he doing steering this dinosaur? He barely knew how to sit on a wagon. "Uh...alright, Betsy, I'm not food, understand? Let's go...that away..." he makes a little smoochy sound with his mouth...
...the first leg was alright. "Hey, this isn't so bad, I'm getting the hang of it, actually. Wow, feel that breeze? Fantastic..." as he cruises past the Red Bazaar.
But suddenly the Grand Colosseum roared into view "Oh shit..."
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"Go? Did that mean go?" As the others all kick off, Dwalar gets his answer. "Guess that's a yes. Yah!" He snaps the reins.
Nothing happens. "Yah, I said! Geeyup! Go, will yeh?" He reaches forward and snacks the nearest on the rump, and finally the beasts get the message. Lagging a bit, Dwalar's chariot lurches forward at a run. "Ha hah!"
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Saphina’s confidence wavers slightly when she sees the chariots. This was not expected. She’d ridden on a wagon or two but never in a chariot. Climbing aboard she stands on her toes to see over the walls of the chariot. Oh boy, this should be interesting. As the start is called she calls out to her Dino’s Yip Yip!
Half way through the first leg her chariot hits a rock and tosses the lythe halfling around inside it’s walls. The distraction is enough to throw her off the lead pace.
She quickly recovers and begins trying to catch up to the leaders.
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Faroris jumps out ahead, with Saphina and Scramsax slightly behind! One of the Blue Almiraj riders comes out and catches up to them, but the entire Red Kamadan team seems to be in disarray and one of them seems to be checking his pockets! After a few seconds, the half-orc shouts a command and they mount up as one and take off in their individual chariots!
Seemingly distracted, Scramsax almost drifts into the crowd, but manages to right his chariot, but not before losing a few places in the race! Faroris pulls even further ahead, avoiding obstacles as if he were born to the chariot! The half-elf is the first to pull in to the Colosseum, and is immediately led to a young pterodactyl!
As he is being strapped into the saddle, the attendant runs down the rules, You must snatch a ribbon from the rings along the course, but you must only grab your color ribbon. Once you have one, you may assist your teammates by harrying your opponents. Understood?
Hmm, what have we here? Scram sniffs at the root as his chariot wheel accidentally rolls over a rival dinosaurs foot...
After reaching the aviary, he leads the flying dinosaur way up...way too high up...and dive bombs the ribbon...
...but instead, the ribbon holder snatches him and he nearly breaks a finger at such high speed.
Faroris practically jumped out of his chariot, hurrying the steps over to the pterodactyl, and climbing into the saddle. He nods to the instructions, and says, "Understood. Thanks."
Moments later, he's flying, reaching out to try to catch a ribbon.
Fenri has some trouble with her mount and his to punch it several times to get it to not veer into the crowd and start eating people. She arrives in the colosseum neck and neck with the other team, and as she's getting strapped into her flying mount, she starts taunting the other team.
"Gods, are you as stupid as your mount was slow? You couldn't even beat the diversion!" she shouts as her mount leaps into the air.
After taking a moment to get a feel for the controls, Fenri begins hunting one of the ribbons.
Faroris swings past but misses the ribbon by quite some distance. He glances back towards those behind him, but then swings around, coming at his ribbon again. "Come on, a little closer."
Ooh, look at the wing muscle structure on this creature, Sashah thinks as he misses his first ribbon. Focused on ending these shenanigans, Sashah manages to grab it as it passes by again.
Saphina rides into the area with a grin on her face. She seems quite pleased with herself for keeping up with the others. Little number but no worse for wear.
As she’s being strapped into the exotic saddle, Saph uses the magic from the potion to speak soothing words to her new mount. Ok buddy, let’s make this smooth and fast. No dumping no little ol Saph in the air OK?
As she says soars through the air, Saph snags her first ribbon. The task is not spectacular but she gets the job done. Now onto that second ribbon. She says staying focused on the task.
Ribbon two
It’s clear that as sh snags her second ribbon Saph and her Dino have figured something out.
Ribbon three
Ribbon four
Ribbon five
Saphina and her pterodactyl seem to be totally in sync as she manages to snag a ribbon every time. The look of glee on her face is fantastic! She pumps her fist to the crowd showing off her catches. She now scans the field looking for ways to assist her teammates.
Sashah grabs ribbons 2, 3, and 4 in short order. But ribbon number 5 is a true struggle as it takes him 5 passes to grab it.
1st ribbon: second try 6 (after fumble above)
2nd: first try 17
3rd: second try 3,15
4th: second try 2,19
5th: first try 9
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Round 5:
As Faroris wheels his pterodactyl around for another pass... WHOOSH! One of the Blue Almiraj pilots zooms past you and toward the network of wide rings suspended between buildings above the cheering crowd. He overcorrects from his maneuver and loses control, tossing him from his saddle to dangle helplessly from the harness' tethers. He clambers back onto the saddle-- sweaty, shaken, and too suddenly humble to try that again!
Golden T-Rex has: 5 ribbons and can make for the Dry Dock!
Despite Saphina being able to harry your opponents, the Red Kamadan team manages to swoop in and out, have lucky grabs and are neck-and-neck with Golden T-Rex!
Blue Almiraj has two ribbons by the end of round 5!
Round 6:
As you swoop down toward the Dry Dock, the city erupts in roaring cheers! At first, it looked like the Golden Tyrannosaurus team would run away with it, but Red Kamadan has made this a race! The scale-master points down the Dry Dock to a landing, where one of three plesiosaurs, each with a large bamboo howdah, waits for you.
A Chultan attendant boosts you aboard and hands each of you a pair of goggles and a harness with a netted satchel, before raising his voice over the crowd. Head to Na N'buso, he shouts, Bricks stamped with your mascot lay at the bottom of the bay. Retrieve them and take them to the Warehouse district. Time to get wet, eh?
One of the Red Kamadan shouts to you all, At least you don't have to look over your shoulder anymore!
His teammates erupt in raucous laughter, before urging their plesiosaur out into the bay!
You can see that the Blue Almiraj team is starting to bring in their pterodactyls in for landing!
He snaps his fingers quick "Saphina, you'd be best at that I think!
I'm gonna knock that Red Kamadan off his high horse..."
Sashah kneels down next to Saphina and puts his hand gently on her shoulder. "You can do this!" he whispers with enthusiasm.
Faroris nods to the instructions as he quickly makes his way onto the new dinosaur. "Got it."
As they start to move out into the bay, Faroris takes a moment to pull on his goggles as well, tying them tight to his head. "I'm not a good swimmer, but better if we work together."
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Okay, first I need to know how many are going down and how many are staying on the plesiosaurus. What is your plan? It would seem the easiest would be to have a few people above to pull the bricks up, while a few look for the bricks below.
And, no, no need for a roll for the Help action, you just use your action. For some skills, I may require you to have proficiency to help, but Investigation is not one of those...
Sashah mounts up and heads into the water.
Saphina nods at Sashah No problem. We got this! the halfling says confidently. Tieing the goggles on as well Saphina prepares to go down.
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Sashah, Saphina, and Faroris (helping Saphina) diving? Dwalar and Fenri pulling?
Scram, want to dive, I assume?
Leg 3 Round 1:
Saphina finds one brick! Faroris begins loading one of the satchels and tugs on the rope!
It looks as if the Red team is blazing through this challenge! By the end of the round it looks as if they have found 3 bricks already!
Blue team has not yet gotten out to the bay yet.
Without the enemy team close by, Scramsax shrugs and backflips into the waters...
...he quickly deduces the location of one of the bricks based on slight disturbances in the silt layers and hooks it onto the ropes.
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Leg 3 Round 1:
Okay, round 1, you discover two bricks and manage to bring them up! Three more to go!
Red Kamadan has 3 bricks!
Blue Almiraj just gets into position!
Leg 3, Round 2:
Sashah finds a brick!
@Faroris, let us know if Saphina is rolling with advantage, or you are looking on your own. You have 2 more to find!
Scramsax and Saphina roll your Investigation checks.