Right hand firmly holding the curved sword, Kieran keeps his eyes on the creature in front of him as he reaches behind him with his left hand for the dagger sheathed at the small of his back. The half-elf draws and throws the small blade, aiming for an area on the beast's body not protected by its thick armor-like hide. As soon as the dagger leaves his hand, he tightens the grip on his sword, getting ready for the inevitable fight. Still, there is a glimmer of excitement in his silver eyes and a thin smile on his lips, despite the direness of the situation.
Kieran's dagger lodged deeply into a softer section of the beast's hide, puncturing through the thick natural armour. A low groan of pain and rage filled the air as the dinosaur reacted to the irritation within its flesh, dark eyes flitting about and seeking the source of the pain. The dagger had buried itself to the hilt and seemed firmly stuck, but the damage appeared far from telling.
With a squeal that sounded somewhere between terror and excitement, Cruthoniax rode his pony forward and a little to the right as he started to shout instructions at Qhude over the rustling of the jungle as the fight began.
Ansha steps to one side of N'Belloq, drawing a scroll from the case at her side. She unfurls the scroll and begins incanting from it, the arcane syllables rolling from her tongue.
(Draw a Summon Monster I scroll and start casting from it. Apologies for any formatting issues-posting from my iPhone. Won't have standard Internet til sat/sun.)
Tebati's spell may have had no visual effect as she smudged the dirt on her forehead, but she feels the swiftness of the wind in her limbs, which should prove a boon in the hampering undergrowth. From her pouch, she produces a scrap of paper on which she has inscribed a mantra and steps forward easily to the leeward side of Kieran. "Shimye-Magalla, protect this man," she beseeches, letting the paper fly away from her fingers as she touches him.
Round 2-
Ordered Initiative-
Jakob- 21a
N'bellocq- 21b
Tebati (action posted)- 21c
Dinosaur- 21d
Kieran- 17
Qhude- 17
Cruthoniax- 10
Ansha- 4
Active Effects-
Longstrider on Tebati
Shield of Faith (+2) on Kieran
Map-
Notes-
The jungle is thick and dense enough that this entire combat is considered to be in difficult terrain. In addition, attacks with reach weapons and ranged attacks will be subject to cover.
The beast is large sized.
Normal light extends from a 20 foot radius around N'bellocq from the arrow he is holding and Jakob from the berry. Dim light extends 20 feet beyond that (20% miss chance). For those with low light vision, this is doubled.
Action-
N'bellocq expected the beast to be big, but once it emerges from the foliage, he can tell it was bigger than anything he faced on the river. In the thick foliage, he struggles to bring the large bow to bear.
"No! Leave it al....Aw crap!"
Looking rather annoyed as the various missiles flash towards the now angry animal Jakob speaks a few words lost in the crashing of plants and paniced call of birds.
Jakob moves cautiously away from the beast.
Tebati joined Jakob in spellcasting, her magic apparently focused upon Kieran. The dinosaur surged forward, predictably assaulting the source of its wound- Kieran. Its massive mouth hung open and its tiny eyes narrowed as its massive tail lashed out with enough force to shatter the young half-elf's legs; had he still been in the path of the attack. Reacting swiftly, Kieran had leapt agilely over the swift and deadly tail and landed neatly in a position to counter-attack.
Round 2:
His short but frantic push through the undergrowth made Qhude realise that his guisarme would likely be of little use to him, it's free movement hampered by the close pressing of vegetation. Dropping the rope wrapped weapon, Qhude puts hands to the heavy net at his waist. Gritting teeth against Cruthoniax's precise but irritating commentary he puts the strength of his back into his arms and hefts the net with a growl of intent...
Net:
...though the weights catch on a obscuring branch and the net expends itself to no effect. The white heat that had been growing within his belly burns hotter still, the flames fanned by Qhude's failure.
With the completion of the final word of the incantation, Ansha lets go of the scroll, which simultaneously catches fire and quickly burns to ash. Gesturing with a flourish behind the ankylosaurus, Ansha yells, "Attack!"
An answering low growl is followed by a vicious bark and the appearance of a small riding dog, complete with a small saddle. It snaps at the dinosaur's flank, canines nipping at one of the beast's multiple heels.
Following the completion of her spell, she hustles forward a few steps, still keeping N'bellocq between her and the massive beast. Her fingers dance through a pattern hurriedly, the gestures as deceptively sleepy as her accompanying words are hypnotic. At the completion of the spell, she flings forth an outstretched hand, and a cone of scintillating colors sprays forth into the beast's face.
The thin smile having turned into a grin after avoiding the beast's tail strike, Kieran aims for the thick leg closest to him and strikes. His blade, held low with its tip almost touching the ground until this moment, moves diagonally upward in a slashing strike, the half-elf's features hinting at barely contained exhilaration.
N'bellocq's first arrow failed to penetrate the ankylosaurus' tough hide and the second missed the beast entirely. Kieran was having far more success, his precise flourish resulting in another minor wound that threatened to hamstring the dinosaur; unfortunately his blade did not penetrate as far as he had hoped; the thick sinews of dense muscle turning his blade. Qhude's net glanced off a branch, much to Cruthoniax's chagrin. The Gnome redoubled his encouragement, adding a reprimand to his words that did little to help the Bas'o maintain control while edging his pony ever closer to the fight in his excitement.
Ansha's summoned assistance proves to be little more than an irritation for the powerful, armoured animal. His teeth latch on to the dinosaur but don't find a place soft enough to draw blood.
A moment later, Ansha herself unleashes a bright display of colours, the illumination lighting up the dark jungle for a moment with their intensity. As one of the most powerful spells the Wizard was capable of, Ansha was discouraged to see that once the wave of colours had faded, the powerful animal seemed utterly unaffected.
Tebati-
Kieran-
Qhude-
Ansha-
N'bellocq-
Jakob-
Round 3-
Ordered Initiative-
Jakob- 21a
N'bellocq- 21b
Tebati- 21c
Dinosaur- 21d
Kieran- 17
Qhude- 17
Cruthoniax- 10
Ansha- 4
Active Effects-
Longstrider on Tebati
Shield of Faith (+2) on Kieran
Bless on the party
Map-
Notes-
The jungle is thick and dense enough that this entire combat is considered to be in difficult terrain. In addition, attacks with reach weapons and ranged attacks will be subject to cover.
The beast is large sized.
Normal light extends from a 20 foot radius around N'bellocq from the arrow he is holding and Jakob from the berry. Dim light extends 20 feet beyond that (20% miss chance). For those with low light vision, this is doubled.
Action-
Round 3
Double move to G,36
"Watch your pony Cruthoniax!"
Round 3 Init. 21b
So close to the beast N'bellocq feels the ground move beneath his feet. He tries to steady himself....It is so close...No glancing blows, you must strike deep!
Even this close his arrows have trouble sinking deep. "Qhude, that net is our best chance. I will aid you if I can."
Tebati gives Cruthoniax and his incessant chatter an exasperated glance. Will no one quiet the troublesome gnome? "There is no time to gather it," she objects. "By the time it is readied again, the beast will have crushed at least one of us. We must end this quickly!" Her hand brushes against Kieran's back again, imparting her goddess's blessing. "As you felled the ankheg," she encourages him.
N'bellocq's first arrow glanced off the beast's hide but the second had far more force behind it, piercing the animal's thick hide. Blood dripped down from the almost shattered arrowhead and along the shaft as the anklyosaurus attempted to take out its fury on Kieran- who proved to once again be an elusive foe, easily wrong-footing the lumbering animal and hopping over its spiked tail in an almost casual manner as he sought an opening of his own. The apparent ease with which he as able to evade its strikes was not lost on the dinosaur, who seemed to be enraged by him...
Feeling Tebati's blessing wash over him, Kieran's grin widens ever so slightly as he once again proves too agile for the dinosaur's tail to land a hit on him. The moment his feet touch the ground again, the half-elf's sword-arm darts forward in a stabbing attack, trying to take advantage of whatever distraction Ansha's summoned dog affords him in order to strike where he figures it would hurt the most.
Round 3:
Qhude's gut burns with an inexorable need to engage the beast, to feel it's blood spill over his rope... but the grate of Cruthoniax's voice and the as yet ineffectual thrashings of the beast provide some succor against the tide. The scarred bas'o retrieves the second of the weighted nets from his belt. He feels the tightly wound ropes firm into his hand as he draws back the net and casts it forth in a smooth motion...
Net:
Round 3:
Ansha's summoned dog continues to yip and worry the ankylosaurus' heels to little effect as its mistress mutters a soft curse and splays her long fingers across the choker at her neck. The choker briefly shimmers with a faint blue light as it is activated, but the glow fades as soon as the elf's hand falls to her side again. Weaving similar gestures and speaking similar words as those she had spoken a moment ago, she flings her hand out once again to fling a jarring, clashing combination of colored rays at the great lizard once again--to what she hopes is greater effect.
If our tail is a foe, they should be here any moment, she thinks, glancing over her shoulder.
The tip of Kieran's bloody and exotic sword cut into the dinosaur's neck, a little deeper than before as the beast was distracted for a moment by its canine attacker. Although the four distinct wounds upon its powerful body bled, they seemed to be insignificant to the large animal. Young though it was, an anklyosaurus was not a foe easily toppled.
With a triumphant whoop from Cruthoniax who seemed far more vocal at his success than the Bas'o himself, Qhude launched the second heavy net two-handed, even his strong arms struggling to throw it with any heft. Nevertheless, it was a fine throw that bashed through the interposing branches as much as avoided them; and the large, weighted net fell into place upon the dinosaur's back. Heavy iron weights clattered to the ground, hindering the dinosaur's movements. To his credit, apparently satisfied by Qhude's throw; Cruthoniax hefted his ornate crossbow and started to aim it
A mere moment later, Ansha repeated her pattern of colours, unleashing another wave of illusionary light over the animal. To her frustration, she met no more success than she had initially and worse; the magic holding the brave summoned canine to the jungle frayed and crumbled; the dog disappearing from the Material plane with nary a trace. Her nervous glance that sought would-be pursuers yielded nothing, the distraction of the roaring beast barely held at bay by the large, weighted net making it almost impossible to focus her senses.
Round 4-
Ordered Initiative-
Jakob- 21a
N'bellocq- 21b
Tebati- 21c
Dinosaur- 21d
Kieran- 17
Qhude- 17
Cruthoniax- 10
Ansha- 4
Active Effects-
Longstrider on Tebati
Shield of Faith (+2) on Kieran
Bless on the party
The anklyosaurus has the Entangled condition.
Map-
Notes-
The jungle is thick and dense enough that this entire combat is considered to be in difficult terrain. In addition, attacks with reach weapons and ranged attacks will be subject to cover.
The beast is large sized.
Normal light extends from a 20 foot radius around N'bellocq from the arrow he is holding and Jakob from the berry. Dim light extends 20 feet beyond that (20% miss chance). For those with low light vision, this is doubled.
Action-
Seeing nothing but a few Nepenthes attenboroughii between our heroes and the now enraged dinosaur. Jakob moves forward hoping to at least minimize the beasts pain.
Watching the net sail over the monster, "Ho! Even better! I stay with the bow then."
"Bah! Too much jungle here, but it keeps him from charging us I guess."
Tebati breathes a little more easily when the dinosaur is ensnared -- but the gleam of outrage in its reptilian eyes reminds her that this beast is far from defeated. She hesitates, waiting to see if the net is merely an insult to inspire the ankylosaurus to more vicious attacks.
Stepping in to join the fight, Jakob firmly thrust his spear at the beast, scoring a long scratch along its left leg. N'bellocq's arrows continued to have difficulty penetrating the tough hide, however.
Despite the hindrance of the net that the animal did not seem to truly understand, it still continued its assault on Kieran. Clearly now fighting for survival rather than mere territory, the anklyosaurus' spiked tail slammed into Kieran so hard and fast that the Half-Elf barely had time to register it. The tail connected with a sickening crunch as the powerful natural weapon shattered ribs and sent the warrior crumpling to the ground, his sword falling to the ground beside him.
Your reasonably sure Kieran is alive but in critical condition
"" Tebati commands in a harsh and terrible voice. "Draw its attention!" Her fingers tighten around her driftwood, and she channels positive energy, her anger and fear denying the beast its healing benefits.
Round 4:
Qhude's satisfaction at seeing the net restrict the ankylosaurus is shortlived as Kieran falls... broken and bloodied. The white heat that had been simmering in his gut exploded into a fierce and blinding need. His conscious thought submerged beneath the rising wave of rage.
Qhude was dimly aware that words were said, but the imbube ascendant cared only for one thing... his prey. His stance opened and a his right hand slowly curled into a fist. Pushing through the brush to the ankylosaurus' side, Qhude roared as his left hand reached under the lizard's thick hide to try and lift it slightly. His rope was then brought forward with as much strength as the Bas'o could muster in an underhanded blow... seeking to do damage to the creature's more vulnerable underbelly...
Qhude's attack proved utterly ineffective as the rope slammed into the underbelly awkwardly. Tebati's wave of positive energy seemed to have very little effect on the fallen Kieran.
Cruthoniax levelled his hefty crossbow and fired two bolts from it simultaneously. Unfortunately, both of them lacked enough penetrating power to pierce the thick section of hide he had fired at.
Round 4:
Ansha gasps softly, wincing when Kieran is struck down. Her eyes flit to the fallen half-elf momentarily, but remain fixed upon the massive lizard. Quickly running through a mental checklist of possible courses of action, she reaches into a pouch at her belt and grasps the pearl inside. Murmuring a command word, she feels the expended magic return to her once again and releases her grasp. She then reaches for the scroll cases at her side and draws another rolled-up parchment from its confines. Calistria's fickle tongue, this isn't looking good.
Round 5 Init. 21b
The struggles of the beast in the net expose a glimpse of the beasts unarmored belly, and N'bellocq is quick to take advantage. Hurry now before the beast's tail finds the range on all of us
Round 5
"Kieran!"
Jakob drops his spear and moves to downed swordsman lifting him up and trying to get him away from the enraged beast.
When performing a combat maneuver, you must use an action appropriate to the maneuver you are attempting to perform. While many combat maneuvers can be performed as part of an attack action, full-attack action, or attack of opportunity (in place of a melee attack), others require a specific action. Unless otherwise noted, performing a combat maneuver provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of the maneuver. If you are hit by the target, you take the damage normally and apply that amount as a penalty to the attack roll to perform the maneuver. If your target is immobilized, unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated, your maneuver automatically succeeds (treat as if you rolled a natural 20 on the attack roll). If your target is stunned, you receive a +4 bonus on your attack roll to perform a combat maneuver against it.
....
Round 5-
Ordered Initiative-
Jakob- 21a
N'bellocq- 21b
Dinosaur- 21c
Tebati- 20
Kieran- 17
Qhude- 17
Cruthoniax- 10
Ansha- 4
Active Effects-
Longstrider on Tebati
Shield of Faith (+2) on Kieran
Bless on the party
The anklyosaurus has the Entangled condition.
Map-
Notes-
The jungle is thick and dense enough that this entire combat is considered to be in difficult terrain. In addition, attacks with reach weapons and ranged attacks will be subject to cover.
The beast is large sized.
Normal light extends from a 20 foot radius around N'bellocq from the arrow he is holding and Jakob from the berry. Dim light extends 20 feet beyond that (20% miss chance). For those with low light vision, this is doubled.
Action-
Dropping his spear, Jakob pulled the downed Kieran clear of the fray while covering his maneuver with a raised shield.
At the same time, another of N'bellocq's arrows imbedded itself into the anklyosaurus- this one piercing its back quite deeply as it struggled in the net to strike. The dinosaur roared in pain and lunged with its tail at Qhude, seeking to remove the irritation from its path before dealing with N'bellocq. The powerful tail slammed into the brawny Bas'o, who staggered backwards from a blow that almost felled him with one swipe. Despite the disorientating slam and the pain coursing through his battered abdomen, Qhude channeled the pain into greater anger and managed to stay fighting despite almost becoming dazed from the assault.
Round 5:
All went still and silent for a span of moments that seemed an eternity to the Bas'o. Then his mind was snapped back to the present as he attempted to draw breath... only to find that his lung refused to function. Blood seeped through broken skin and covered his flesh as though a macabre glistening coat. The white heat within his belly flickered and came close to failing.
A wise man may have run, a prudent man may have played dead... but Qhude of the Bas'o was neither of these things. The white core to his being flared back into life as he drew succor from the unrelenting truth of the anger within. Lurching from where the ankylosaurus' tail threw him Qhude returned to the fight. He lunged at the beast's rear, rope lashing forward like a cobra to strike at the place where the dinosaur's armor gave way to the movement of it's tail.
Strike or miss, the bestial rage that had o'ertaken Qhude spilled unto the beast... though whether it would be cowed or not...
Tebati shoots Jakob a look of profound gratitude as he drags Kieran clear of the beast's trampling feet, although she winces at the thought of what being pulled over the uneven ground must be doing to his broken bones. The next moment, her wince turns into a full-fledged flinch as Qhude takes a crushing hit from the ankylosaurus's tail and somehow remains on his feet. None of them can withstand more than a glancing blow from the creature, and it deals as much damage with a casual flip of its tail as she can repair with a full day's worth of grace from her goddess. If it cannot be felled quickly, they will be forced to retreat ... and how Qhude is to be persuaded to do that rather than die fighting, she doesn't know. "Jakob, Ansha, any clever plans?"
Ansha shares Tebati's wince, watching Jakob drag Kieran's broken body over rough terrain and through thick underbrush. Her thoughts are snapped back to the present by the sickening crunch of bone as the beast scores a solid hit on Qhude with its tail, and she wonders grimly if they can stop the beast--or what worse fate awaits her if she were to attempt an escape into the jungle.
The elf glances at Tebati, her only reply a cocksure smirk. She raises her hands again, duplicating her spell-casting efforts a third time. Her voice rises and falls in a hypnotic cadence as she incants her spell, flinging forth a third spray of clashing colors.
Despite the powerful blow Qhude dealt the softer underside of the dinosaur it held firm and its defiance and fury mirrored Qhude's own. Although he clearly wounded the animal with the powerful slam, it was utterly unafraid of him.
Cruthoniax struggled to reload the hefty crossbow he held, slowly loading one bolt in it and preparing to load a second.
Ansha unleashed one last final burst of colour; but once again, the animal seemed too potent, too stubborn and too defiant for the illusion to affect its primitive mind.
Seeing the beast withstand a third spell, Ansha remarks to Tebati, "Yes. May I suggest that we run?"
And with that, she hurries at an angle away from the beast.
"Jakob?" Tebati asks sharply, not taking her eyes off the beast.