DM Bigrin's Second Darkness (Inactive)

Game Master bigrin42

"Somebody come with me and keep me safe?" Anklebiter asks -- and then he scuttles off at high speed, chanting as he goes. As the Goblin screeches to a halt close to Calla, he finishes his spell -- "Exhalatio ignis ventique!" -- and sneezes. Fire and hurricane-strength winds envelop the two zombies.

Anklebiter runs to L10 and casts Fire Sneeze, ideally catching both zombies in the cone without touching Calla. 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9 fire damage to all creatures in the cone. Reflex save DC 15 for half damage. Every creature that fails the Reflex save must make Fortitude save DC 12 to avoid being knocked prone. Now somebody please keep the monsters offa me~! ^^;

Calla snarls in frustration as she abandons the goblin to fall back and continue striking with her bow.

"Go rescue him, Blondie, before he gets himself killed!" she yells, sending a second shaft leaping toward the creature closest to the goblin.

Longbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3

Round 2

Loading her crossbow, Kel shoots at the closest beast as she falls back with Calla. "Gods! These must be the creatures the dwarves feared!"

light crossbow, bless: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 4

Round 2
"Well, he's not called Anklebiter the Rational for a reason..."
Lefrik moves alongside the goblin and then once the spell is cast, tries to exchange places with him to finish off any foe that survived the fiery blast.

To hit with Great Axe: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
to dmg: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Bruendor grimaces as he takes in the fresh horror of the cadavers moving towards the group. "By the gods, what happened to their jaws?!?", he wondered aloud, not even bothering to disguise the revulsion in his voice. He rushed forwards, skidding past the trio to come up along side them.

Bruendor rushed forward and rolled, trying to avoid the creature's stiffened hands. As he did, he gaped at the missing lower jaw and the bloated tongue hanging out of the lower half of the thing's face. He got a much closer look than he wanted when the tongue lashed out at him, barely missing his head ans he slid to the ground underneath the blow.

Calla backed up as Anklebiter ran up beside her and sneezed fire all over the zombies in front of her. The flaming goo splashed a little low, and instead of being completely consumed by it, the monsters took most of the damage to their lower bodies. That was still enough to weaken them to the point that Lefrik's axe could sweep down and cut one to ribbons. Calla and Kelendra peppered the other with arrows so that it looked like a heavily charred kebab, but it somehow managed to keep its feet.

The zombie exiting the ruined shop rushed at Bruendor, tripping over the rubble and nearly colliding with the dwarf, who barely managed to avoid the thing's sweeping blows. Another came loping from behind the buildings to fall upon Kelendra.

Anklebiter sneezes at the zombies again, then leaps backward -- and spots Kelendra's plight. "Healer-girl!" he squeals. "Get over here! Run!" The Goblin scampers off to meet Kelendra half-way, his nose already twitching...

Anklebiter uses his second charge of Fire Sneeze (still one remaining), and the cone should strike the two remaining zombies. Fire damage to the tune of 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7. Reflex save DC15 to half. All monsters that fail the Reflex save must roll a Fortitude save DC12 or fall prone. Anklebiter moves to K13.

Round 3

Kel drops her crossbow (haunted, falls 10' away) and draws her morningstar as she retreats from the creature, putting her back to the wall (shift to K15). "Ugg, keep that nasty tongue away from me!" she shrieks at the thing while waving a hand before her that brings the glimmer of stars around her form.

Coat of Many Stars, +4 deflection to AC

After a second blast of flaming snot, Bruendor hears Kelendra scream as a fourth of these horrid creatures advances upon her. "I think you've got this in hand, Lefrik. Hang on, Kel, I'm coming!" The dwarf barreled towards the zombie, and slashed at it, trying to distract the horror from the peril-prone woman.

"I was right, this island just gets uglier and uglier..."

Once the second 'sneeze' is done, Lefrik will move to slash at the next foe. "I really must thank you all again for this axe. It's most useful."

To hit: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
dmg: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Calla growls as she sees Kelendra being threatened once again.

"Can't you stay out of trouble," she yells, sending an arrow into the head of the zombie creature threatening her.

Longbow (point blank range): 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 1 = 20
Damage (point blank range): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Anklebiter's sneeze reduced the badly injured zombie creature to a smoking pile of crisp skin and bone, while burning Bruendor's opponent badly. If the dwarf had had a beard, it would have been badly singed by the goblin's spell. AS it was, his cheek turned a dark red from the heat. Lefrik rushed forward to finish off the creature, but ducked as Calla's arrow flicked past his ear. The motion threw off his swing, and the zombie clumsily dodged his blow...but not the arrow that sped in to land just beside the ruins of its nose. Callas arrow punched through the hard skull with a thunk and the zombie dropped to the ground, tongue twitching. Bruendor took the opportunity to charge the newcomer threatening their healer. His rapier flicked out, piercing the bloated, barbed tongue, and driving into the ruins of the brain beyond. The zombie stood stock still for a moment before crashing to the ground.

"Haaa... haaa..." Anklebiter gasps, eyes watering as he looks left and right for more targets -- and finally looks straight upward, well away from his companions. "Aaaa-CHOOO!"

The third and final gust of flaming ectoplasm spews up into the sky, an impromptu firework. Anklebiter coughs a bit, embarrassed, and scampers over to Bruendor.

"I got you a little, didn't I?" he asks, remorseful. "Sorry. It's a good spell against many enemies, but a bit... tricky to aim."

The Goblin shakes himself and looks around. "Nobody injured?" he asks, worried. "Nobody else turning into tongue-lashing zombie?"

Wow, that actually went very smoothly! ^^ The notlions may be tough, but their zombies seem to bejust about manageable.

Her knees still quaking, Kel retrieves her crossbow. "It's not my fault, Calla, I don't know why everything seems drawn to me!" with a flounce and pouting lip Kel protests the criticism.

Calla rolls her eyes. "Men and beasts, both, with that type of bounce. Next thing I'll have to be keeping Blondie, Beardless and the goblin off you."

"No offence, but you'd have to paint yourself green, shave your head bald and walk on your knees before you look good to me in that way," Anklebiter says, shaking his ears. "That goes for both of you, ladies. Some ear-extentions wouldn't go amiss, either."

"I think we're all fine, Anklebiter, good magic that."

Calla rolls her eyes. "Men and beasts, both, with that type of bounce. Next thing I'll have to be keeping Blondie, Beardless and the goblin off you."

"Stop picking on her, Calla. You could learn to bounce a bit more nicely yourself now and then," The barbarian says with an admiring glance towards Kel.

"Fear not Kel, while I remember that succubus outfit you wore quite fondly, I can behave myself."

"No offence, but you'd have to paint yourself green, shave your head bald and walk on your knees before you look good to me in that way," Anklebiter says, shaking his ears. "That goes for both of you, ladies. Some ear-extentions wouldn't go amiss, either."

"HA!" Lefrik smiles, and pats the little goblin on the back, "To each their own I suppose. Still, they say almost anyone or anything can be found in Riddleport. Perhaps there's a nice goblin girl out there for you yet."

Anklebiter giggles shrilly. "She'd need to be a burn-face like me, though," he says. "A weirdo who got kicked out of her clan. Best kind of Goblin there is."

Go team us!

Bruendor wiped the blood off of his blade as he sheathed the weapon, gingerly touching his scalded cheek. "It's fine, AB," he said, waving off the apologetic goblin. "Just stood a little too close to the fire. It'll be fine by tomorrow."

He too looked back to Calla. "And unless all you lanky folk grow a bit meatier, I'm not that interested in how any of you happen to gyrate." He then turned his attentions to the jawless corpses before him, trying to determine how they came into being.

"Ha!" Calla lets out a bark of laughter at Bruendor's comments, inadvertantly echoing Lefrik. Smiling and -- almost shockingly -- chuckling momentarily to herself, she truns to examine the corpses along with the dwarf, hoping she can also learn a bit more about them. Hopefully can get some results next time with Knowledge check.

So, I'm healthy, hope you are. What are you going to do?"

"We search ruins further now? Anklebiter asks. "Or go to where criminals are?"

"Let's finish searching this area, scavenge what we can before we head towards Zincher's outpost. Be ready for a fight. If they've held out against the notlions, then they'll probably try to kill us. If the notlions have overrun them, then they're already dead and turned into these...things."

Anklebiter nods. "That's going to be one enjoyable sneeze," he says in a suddenly dark tone, "if Zincher's corpse comes at me tongue a-wagging."

The rest of the ruined buildings are quickley searched, with no more sign of zombies, notlions, or any living survivors. While the buildings were fairly thoroughly cleaned out by the original settlers when they left - and more recent scavengers - Calla did find a belt pouch in the rubble near to where the zombies were laying. Given the relatively new condition of the pouch, and the fact that it was fairly covered in red-brown stains, it seemed likely to have belonged to one of the creatures when it was still a living person. In it was some gold and silver coins, and a vial of a light blue potion.

Lefrik looks about for trails and trails
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Survival: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"The quicker we're free from this island the better, when does the ship return, how much time do we have left?"

Calla toses the pouch to Kelendra: "You'll probably need this the most," she says. "If we get out of here, we can split all the coins."

The search accomplished, she helps Lefrik look for tracks.

Survival: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 2 = 27

I'll be out of town for the weekend; back Monday or Tuesday.

Sorry, I forgot you were waiting on me.

The tracks of the notlions are everywhere around the buildings, not surprisingly from the attack last night. There are also humanoid tracks - likely made by the wizards and zombies. These are much fewer in number. Leading away from Witchlight are three trails.

The western trail seems to head down a steep hillside towards the western lighthouse. The northern trail is the one you arrived from the previous day. The eastern trail heads off into the jungle, and is the direction Samaritha indicated Zincher's camp to be.

She reinforces that fact by saying, "We never went off that way, bu we saw some evidence that Zincher's camp was over there. A few days ago, some of his men stopped by to harangue us, but we sent them away."

"Do we want to investigate the western lighthouse first, or go after Zincher immediately?

"And what's our play when we get to the bastard? He's hardly trustworthy and we're probably safer on our own than trying to ally with him."

"A good question. It seems to be the longer we wait, the more danger we might be in, but the same could be said of him. If we check the Lighthouse out first, assuming we live, we might come to find him even more in need and willing to talk...or baring that, weakened enough where we can best him more easily if we want to raid."

"Maybe make western lighthouse our fort?" Anklebiter suggests. "After we clear out whatever's there. Then again... maybe we need more troops to clear it out. Zincher would make good cannon fodder."

"As long as we don't roll this one down into the water again."

"The lighthouse seems prudent, it at least offers some shelter from the creatures of this place and right now I fear the lions more than Zilcher. Hopefully it's not occupied." Kel adds nervously.

"Agreed, then. Let's head for the lighthouse."

Make it so, GM.

The western trail to the lighthouse drops sharply into the jungle. The trees press in close as the winding trail turns into more of an animal track than an actual trail. The noises of the jungle were loud with the signs of life, a complete change from the near silence of the night before.

About an hour along, the noises became fewer, and then were gone altogether. Thus, it was no surprise when the attack came. A handful of the strange zombies with the bloated lolling tongues loped out of the woods ahead of you and charged.

"Damn you, creatures, die! Again!" Calla curses, calling down the favor of her goddess. activate justice judgment (+1 to attack rolls) as swift action

Fitting an arrow to her bow as she moves to get a clear path, she fire quickly, barely getting her target in sight.

Move to CP-47
Longbow: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 11
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Edited to add in +1 to hit for bless

Round 1

Kel moves back behind the sneezing goblin and blesses her companions. "Desna guide and protect us!"

move to CS-47 and cast bless on the party

Anklebiter's face scrunches up and he releases a burst of protective energy.
"Give me room to sneeze after the first exchange!" he warns, ducking for cover behind Lefrik.

Protective Ward; everyone gets a +1 deflection bonus to AC for the next 3 rounds! Anklebiter moves to CR47.

"Done!", Bruendor responds, already moving obliquely. "Lefrik, help me rack them up, so AB can knock them down!"

Lefrik knows the attack is coming, but he's still not quick enough to take action before they do, "Fast for deadmen, or so it seems to me."

When he can, he moves to clear a path even as he slashes.

5 step if needed to keep space open for Anklebiter
To hit with Greataxe, bless included:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Dmg: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

If you are going to ready an attack, go ahead and roll hit and damage so we don't have to wait

The torn and rotting forms loped in for the attack as the group prepared their defensive spells. A white nimbus merged with a dark blue one as the blessing and protective shields merged and took hold. Combined, they were enough to deflect the brunt of the charging creature's attacks...mostly.

Calla was rocked back on her heels as the zombie before her ducked under her fired arrow and slammed a gnarled hand into her chest. The wind was knocked from her, and black tinged the corners of her vision as she tried to recover from the undead thing's mighty blow.

Lefrik blocked the incoming blows with his axe, and lashed out, cleaving the head from one of the walking corpses. The head rolled to one side of the trail, the strange barbed tongue thrashing wildly. The body collapsed at Lefrik's feet.

Calla falls back, relying on Lefrik to cut off the thing's approach, and fires a second arrow, snarling at the pain in her chest.

Move to CR-48; Lefrik should get an AoO if it tries to come after me or Anklebiter
Longbow (point blank, bless, judgment): 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 14
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Dear dice roller, why do you hate me so much?

"One Elf-ears doesn't fall down, then the other one does!" Anklebiter squawks. "Lefrik, guard Calla!"

After having spoken, the Goblin hops to the side and forward while chanting a spell which should, by now, be frighteningly familiar to the others: "Exhalatio ignis ventique!"
The next moment, Anklebiter sneezes, and fire and wind rush out at two of the attacking corpses.

Anklebiter moves to CR46 and casts Fire Sneeze. The cone should catch the zombies at CR44 and CQ45. Reflex save DC15 to halve 2d6 ⇒ (6, 4) = 10 fire damage. Any zombie who fails the save must make a DC12 Fortitude save or falls prone.

Kel takes aim at the creature as Calla falls back, taking advantage of the momentary opening to fire at the creature.

light crossbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 7

"I only hope these are the remains of Zilcher's men!"

I'll do that from now on.

"And distract that one that's on you as well!", Bruendor cried. "I'll get that one!" The dwarf waited for Lefrik to get into a position to help Calla, then leapt at the zombie menacing the large Ulfen warrior.

Lefrik nods at the battle suggestions of his friends and moves...
hoping to cut the one that troubles Calla

Five step to SP45
To hit:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
dmg: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

I hope you meant CP45, because SP45 is a hella lot farther than a 5' step ;)

Lefrik stepped in and smoothly decapitated another of the zombies as Calla fell back. Anklebiter leaped forward and with a great Achoo! sent a wall of flaming snot sheeting over the remaining zombies. The smell of charred flesh and offal filled the air as one of the creatures was blasted from its feet. The other shambled towards Lefrik, but Calla's arrow sent it falling to the ground. The ruins of the other flaming zombie tried to stand, but its legs gave way, positioning its head at just the right height for an easy thrust of Brundor's blade. The dwarf then stepped forward and drove his rapier deep into the base of the last zombie's skull. The zombie, focused on Lefrik never even saw the strike that severed its spinal column and pierced the remains of its rotting brain.

The head that Lefrik had decapitated was still bouncing around on the ground, its barbed tongue flopping and twitching as if it couldn't reconcile the fact that it was no longer attached to a living - or at least unliving - body.

"Well, that was actually easier than usual," Calla says, ignoring the wound she received during the fight. "Where'd they come from, though?"

She looks around, to see if there are any tracks or evidence of who or what the zombies used to be.

Survival (to look for tracks): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

"I think the phrase is 'Who do they come from?'" the uflen comments.