Feigning resignation but secretly delighted he got away with it "I suppose you're right sir, thank you." whistling on his jot to the finish line.
Sashah rubs his bearded chin, "Hmm, yes. It possible." He then pulls out his holy symbol and says a familiar prayer while touching the dinosaur.
Faroris gives a shout as the halfling falls, but there isn't much you can do, so he again turns towards the closest of the opponents, snapping his whip again to try to throw off the other team.
Inspired by her teams effectiveness Saphina focuses on her dino. The root, making the dinosaur very hard to handle.
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Golden Tyrannosaurus pulls ahead almost by a full length and shoots across the finish line, but is going wild! Once you have crossed the finish line, animal handlers try to calm the beast, but it will have nothing to do with that nonsense!
The other two teams cross the finish line, first the Red Kamadan and then Blue Almiraj!
As the Red team dismounts, they gather and occasionally throw you all dirty looks. The Blue team seems down but their halfling leader leads them in a team cheer and soon they are in good spirits again!
Immediately cheering up, Faroris laughs and starts to give a cheer as they cross the finish line, but then has to scramble for grip as a dinosaur continues to run crazy. "What's going..."
"...on? Why isn't it stopping?" he yells to Saphina. He had only seen Scramsax fall, not why, apparently.
Crossing the finish line, Saphina raises her hands in the air in triumph. She quickly realizes that won’t be possible for long as the beast below her has gone comepletely bonkers.
A thrilling ride to say the least but Saph is able to stay at the helm and doesn’t dismount until the beast is under control, be it restrained or if it’s own volition.
Sashah smiles as the dino charges across the finish line. The smile is soon replaced by surprise as he is hurtled through the air off of the dino into the crowd.
Maintaining her rage, Fenri punches the still rampaging dino in the head once or twice to get it to calm down.
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Within a few minutes, the triceratops begins to calm, then almost collapses! It lays there, breathing heavily, but is alive.
Wranglers and handlers are surrounding the creature and tending to it, this kind of thing apparently not too uncommon in the races. They quickly provide water, which your triceratops quickly begins lapping up!
Those of you that are still on the dinosaur easily climb down, but you do not have any time to rest as you are swept up in the festivities!
As you fasten the last of your gear in place, all manner of people, from wealthy merchants to the homeless in Malar's Throat, fill the streets surrounding the elevated platforms near the dinosaur pens. Embellished rumor and tall-tale already spread through the crowd when a tall broad-shouldered Chultan, the Race Marshal, calls for quiet.
Whether first place or show, these racers proved that they embody the strength and fearlessness of our own, Na N'buso!
The Crowd chants in unison, N'buso! N'buso!
Smiling, the marshal continues, And Chult rewards those who face fear and best it! Step forward warriors, and collect your prizes!
Blue Almiraj is called forward first to collect these copper medallions and a small trophy. The crowd roars!
Red Kamadan is called up next, and as they pass you, one of their number makes a motion like he wants to fight, but just smiles like he knows he is better than you as his teammates pull him away. They collect silver medallions and a slightly larger trophy.
Then you are called forward...
Faroris quickly scrambles off the dinosaur after it finally stops, relaxing when he's back on solid ground.
Did you do that? he silently thinks towards his patron. But, not expecting a response he turns his attention back towards his teammates.
"Bit of a rough ending, but that was fantastic!"
He doesn't really have much gear, just a pack of supplies, so he's quick to step up onto the elevated platform.
Politely, he joins the applause for the blue team. Then, as the one member of the red team makes the aggressive move, he twitches a finger with a grin, but doesn't do anything. He simply settles back, watching the medallions and trophy being awarded, though this time he doesn't applaud.
When it's finally their turn, he steps forward with the others.
Scramsax makes his way back to the others as quickly as he can, dodging elbows in the crowd still smarting from before...not to mention flying a pterodactyl for the first time and falling brow first from a Triceratops haunch. "Agreed, agreed. But remember, sportsmanship first! Truly we must commend our competitors for their honest play, especially the Kamadans! Good show, lads." he golf claps and bows.
As the dinosaur falls from her attack, Fenri rolls off it and comes to her feet.
Later, during the ceremony, Fenri gives the member of the Kamadan who wants to fight a Bring it! look, then looks at him, grins as he is walking away, before brushing imaginary dirt off her shoulder.
"I'll see you at the tavern tonight punk..." she mutters to herself as the group takes their place on the stage.
Unimpressed by the ceremony, Sashah livens up at the scream as he rushes toward the pens.
Saphina is absolutely enthralled by the ceremonies. It seems even bigger and grander than when her and the Fangs won the race in the arena. When the red team guy does his thing with looking mean Saphina literally busts out laughing. It was just a race buddy, don’t take yourself so seriously.
At the sound the scream, Saphina is reminded of exactly why she had entered the race to begin with. Smile fading, a serious look coming across her face. Back to work... She then follows the first responders to the location of the scream.
Faroris is smiling through the ceremony, right up until the moment of the scream. "Already?" He turns quickly, though, running with the others towards the source.
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Hovels and shanties shake at the ground level shake as screams and shouts of alarm spread through the crowd. The huge crowd assembled to see the award ceremony now flee toward Tiryki Gate, hoping to get through before it gets locked ahead of them!
You make your way down the scaffolding toward the dinosaur pens, with various people running away, most urging you to run away, rather than moving toward the danger.
Most of the information that you can get from them is incoherent and nonsensical, but the mention of undead is in there somewhere. As you arrive, a frenzy of squawks and caws draw your attention to the animal cages. A child trapped in the corner of the corral, sobs hysterically on the verge of hysteria.
You haven't quite made it off the platform yet, and the surging of the Chultans making their way to safety causes it to buckle under your weight!
You see both of the other teams leap from the platform, trying to make it to safety!
Scram starts to lose his footing, but as the boards buckle and sway he glides gracefully down the incline on the flats of his feet.
Swearing under his breath as the platform starts to buckle, Faroris yells, "Jump!" Even as he does so, he's jumping himself, trying to get off the platform.
Saphina turns to help Sashah get off the platform to see the wizard doing just fine. She realizes her pause to help has gotten herself close to getting trapped in the falling platform and she makes a hurried attempt to dismount. I heard someone say undead! Be on your guard guys!
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[dice=Strength if allowed]1d20+3
[dice=Dex if not]1d20+2
Fenri is flung as the platform falls, and she lands softly on a tent set up for shade which collapses, but Fenri keeps her feet as it gives way beneath her!
Saphina rides the platform down and leaps into a diving roll as the ground approaches!
Dwalar gets bumped as he prepares to jump and lands hard on his shoulder!
Once on solid ground, you find yourself before the dinosaur pens. You can see a swarm of zombie velociraptors making for the young Chultan child, who seems to be fending them off with a pole tipped in a blunt iron hook! Though slow, they block the child's only escape! Based on their stilted movements and cloudy eyes, you suspect they might be undead!
There isn't even an instance of hesitancy from Faroris. The moment he sees what is happening, he moves forward to push his way past the gate and into the pens. "Hey!"
He extends his fist, and a beam of crackling sickly green energy flies out, as he tries to hit one of the zombie dinosaurs. "Bigger meal over here!"
Saphina moves into the stables while drawing her bow. She quickly makes a judgment and dives quickly behind the rumble for cover hoping the raptors had not seen her yet. From her hidden vantage point she launches an arrow at the furthest raptor.
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Scramsax 20
Faroris 18
Zombies 18
Fenri 11
Dwalar 9
Saphina 7
Sashah 2
Surprise round!
Faroris hits one of the zombies in the side of the neck with his blast and it tears a chunk of flesh off! It turns to face the warlock...
Saphina scrambles forward, and ducks behind the broken wall. Picking an easier shot, she catches it in one of its cloudy eyes! It then turns its head away from Faroris and tilts its good eye at Saphina!
The rest of you may go, but the zombies are no longer surprised! Then we will be in initiative.
Dwalar make me a death save please. If you are running meat grinder, remember that the DC is 15. If not, it is 10.
Fenri rages and charges into combat.
Scramsax dashes to the other gate to investigate.
Stepping forward quickly, Faroris crouches down behind one of the pieces of debris, then raises his fist again. Another blast of the crackling, sickly green energy last is out in the direction of another of the dinosaurs.
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Scramsax rushes to the other gate and hops up on the first rung, slapping the pin free with a good hit! With a good kick, he rides the gate out as it swings open!
Faroris flings another blast, this time at another zombie gaining its attention!
One of the zombies (red) lunges at the girl! With a scream, the girl falls under its bite!
Three zombies (blue, green, and brown) turn to charge at Fenri, taking bites of the dwarven barbarian!
Two of them gnaw ineffectually on her shoulders, while the last bites down on her arm!
The remaining two chase after Scramsax but only one gets close enough to take a bite! The gate catches the zombie raptor's snout!
Faroris 18
Zombies 18
Fenri 11
Dwalar 9
Saphina 7
Sashah 2
NOOO! Saphina dashes from her cover and runs for the girl. In an amazing burst of speed she is able to clear the distance but not before the zombies have a chance to react.