DM Brainiac's Ruins of Azlant: Gills and Grit! (Inactive)

Game Master Brainiac

Gideon raises his bow, taking a shot at one of them before the melee starts.

Shortbow Attack+PBS: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 1 = 6
Shortbow Damage+PBS: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Calvin swims up to the closest one and slashes at it. He leaves the left side open for his ranged friends to deal with the companion.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (13) + 7 - 1 = 19
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 2 = 12

Sloshing through the water noisily and somewhat clumsily, Tobar nevertheless brings his crossbow to bear as he nudges past Gideon so that he can take an unobstructed shot.

Crossbow attack, point-blank: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 1 = 27
Confirm crit: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 6 + 1 = 10 No crit, I'm guessing.
Damage, point-blank: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Targeting the northern grindylow. What a waste of a natural 20 - at least it hit...

Crossbow: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 211d8 ⇒ 4

Calvin swims up and cuts the closest grindylow down with a powerful slash of his sword. Weyve and Tobar both hit the second grindylow with crossbow bolts, and it falls back into the water in a spreading pool of blood. It seems the fight is over before it began.

With the pair of grindylows defeated, you move deeper into the caves. The tunnel runs roughly south to north, its floor about five feet below the water’s surface. Two openings lead to other caves along the eastern wall. At its northern end, the cave jogs to the west.

Three more grindylows emerge from the water in the nearby intersection, growling as they prepare to strike!

Everybody but Calvin can go before the grindylows this time. Map has been updated.

Gideon raises his bow again, hoping he has better aim this time than last!

Shortbow Attack+PBS: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 4 + 1 = 25
Shorbow Damage+PBS: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Shortbow Confirm+PBS: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 = 14
Shortbow Damage+PBS: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 4) + 2 = 8

Tobar moves forward slightly to get a clear line of fire once again.

Starting from the top, whichever one wasn't killed by Gideon!

Crossbow attack, point-blank: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 1 = 26
Confirm crit: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 1 = 22
Crossbow crit damage, point-blank: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (6, 6) + 2 = 14

Geez, Louise...I almost feel bad for this pack of them. Tobar, you didn't roll damage for your actual hit. You get another d6+1. Not that it really matters...

I rolled it all in one roll - 2d8+2, instead of 1d8+1 rolled on two separate lines.

Oh yeah! I forgot that crossbows only have an x2 multiplier.

Weyve watches as the two take shots that bring down their enemies. He lifts his crossbow...

crossbow -4 cover: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 3 - 4 = 10

And shoots, but the bolt lands harmlessly in the water.

"Not all of us can be crack shots..."

With two expertly placed shots, Gideon and Tobar drop two of the three grindylows. Weyve tries to hit the third one, but his bolt splashes harmlessly into the water.

The remaining grindylow shrieks and swims off down the northern passage. It quickly passes out of range of your sight.

Out of initiative for now. You can choose to follow the grindylow or go into the eastern cave.

"We better stop that 'un before it gets help," says Tobar as he reloads.

"Crud, probably warning others! Should we pursue?" Gideon says, looking to the others.

If the others agree to pursue, Gideon will take off after them, though he lets Calvin take the lead.

Calvin will lead, swimming after the Grindylow, though he feels that the thing will reach its comrades far faster than they will, still, this way might be safer in the long run.

Attacks: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 271d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 121d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 131d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (4, 1, 3) = 8

You follow the grindylow down the tunnel. You are about halfway down its length when Calvin inadvertently swims into a piece of translucent seaweed set up as a tripwire. The kelp pulls at an already loosened section of stone, which causes several other rocks to fall on you! Calvin and Weyve get pummeled, but Gideon and Tobar dodge the worst of it.

The tunnel opens to the east into a section of deeper water that seems to connect to the previous cavern. It continues ahead and turns to the west.

8 damage to Calvin and Weyve.

With a cry of surprise when the tunnel suddenly collapses in on them, Gideon barely manages to avoid the falling rocks; his comrades, though, are not so lucky.

With Weyve able to cast a cure spell on his own, Gideon focuses his efforts on Calvin, casting a spell of healing on the swordsman.

Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Well, you got half of it back. Better than nothing.

Indeed.

"Nice welcome mat they've got there."

"No kiddin'. Let's hope we aren't crashing a barbecue or something." Gideon says, ready to continue forward, though encouraging a bit more caution and trying to keep an eye out for any similar traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

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Gideon doesn't find any other traps ahead.

Would you like to go east into the side cave or continue north down the tunnel?

"Hang on, let's both get eyes on this," says Tobar as he joins Gideon in checking the area.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

"I'd rather leave no ground unturned behind us than keep rushing after the grindylows...if there was an alarm to be raised, surely it's too late for us to prevent them doing so."

Calvin will let them check, but he'll keep his guard up and stay nearby where he can move to intercept threats.

You head into the large eastern cave to check it before continuing forward. You've only made it a little ways inside when three grindylow emerge from behind pillars of stone and start rushing towards you!

The grindylows move up to you during the surprise round. Everybody but Weyve can act before they go again. Map has been updated.

"What? Look out!"

Calvin raises his longsword high and brings it down on the grindylow that rushed up to him.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 7 - 1 = 16
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7

"Take this! he snaps.

Gideon takes a swift step backward away from the grindylow nearest him, then takes another bowshot at the creature.

Shortbow Attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 1 = 13
Shortbow Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Tobar fires his loaded crossbow once again as the latest wave (ha ha) of grindylows rush forward.

Crossbow attack, point-blank: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 1 = 24
Crossbow damage, point-blank: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Tobar' point blank shot strikes the grindylow in the head, dropping the vile creature.

Gideon steps back and holds his bow above the water line as he shoots, but his attack goes wide.

Calvin cuts down a second grindylow with a powerful attack!

The sole remaining aberration swims at Calvin, stabbing with its spear and biting fiercely! The gillman parries the attacks.

Spear: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
Bite: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (15) - 3 = 12

Tobar reloads, turns, and fires again!

Crossbow attack, point-blank: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 1 = 25
Crossbow damage, point-blank: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Calvin retaliates!

power attack: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 7 - 1 = 22
damage: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

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Considering that previous round Calvin hit on a 16 and dropped his opponent with 7 damage, I'm guessing the fight is over.

"Uh... yeah. *ahem* Ah... I didn't want to step in there... wouldn't have been fair, four on three you know."

Weyve looks over the bodies, to see if they are carrying anything interesting. After gathering up anything valuable and handing it to the others, Weyve looks around.

"I doubt that's all of them. We should keep moving." Weyve hefts his crossbow and continues forward.

North (i.e. to the right side of the map) to the dark blue area, unless anyone objects.

Between Gideon and Calvin, the last grindylow goes down hard. Weyve only finds spears on their bodies, but when he swims down to search the cave, he discovers a few leathery pouches made out of a large fish’s swim bladder. Inside the pouches, you find 13 pieces of polished red coral worth 10 gp each. In addition, a waterlogged backpack contains a magic bottle, an everburning torch, a rotted coil of rope, an empty flask bearing the initials “E. M.,” a hammer, six pitons, and a dented flute.

You continue forward into the adjoining cave. The floor slopes down here--the water is ten feet deep, forcing you to swim to make progress. You are only a short way into the cave when suddenly two barrel-shaped octopi burst from their hiding spots in the silt at the bottom of the cave! They reach for Calvin with their tentacles! One manages to wrap around his legs, but the gillman kicks free before it gets a good hold.

Tentacles: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Tentacles: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Grab: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Everybody can go before the octopi act again. Remember you have to swim now--it's a DC 10 check to move, and underwater combat rules apply. Map has been updated.

I'll go ahead and make the swim check since I'll definitely have to be moving, but is there someplace to find a quick summary of the underwater combat rules? I can never remember them.

Swim: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Underwater Combat Rules

Thanks! What about the shallow water that's adjacent to my square? If I get to it and can shoot down into the water instead of through it, what kind of penalty would that give, if any?

It's still chest-high, so you'd still take a -2 penalty on ranged attacks for every 5 feet of water it passes through.

Please remember that I have a feat that lets me do full damage with my slashing weapons underwater. :)

Calvin jockeys to get into a better position before he slices into the octopus that tried to grab onto him.

Hoping to get into flanking with Weyve before attacking.
Power Attack: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (7) + 7 - 1 = 13 +2 if flanking
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 2 = 14

Tobar backpedals through the water to get out of reach of the octopus before firing.

Swim: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

Withdraw action, since I don't think I can 5' step while swimming without a swim speed.

Gideon swims toward the uppermost octopus, trying to slash at it with his machete.

Machete attack - underwater: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 - 2 = 17
Machete Damage : 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

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Before pressing on, Weyve takes some twine and ties the everburning torch to his back so that the lit end sticks up over his shoulder.

"That will give us some light down here. I could also cast light on a small object and levitate it ahead of us if we need it."

Hoping to get into flanking with Weyve before attacking.

Were you moving? Right now on the grid, you and I are adjacent. But Weyve is the least able to be in melee out of this group.

Weyve shuffles back out of the reach of the octopus. He mutters some alien words, and his eyes and skin turn blue, and a dark mist seems to rise off of him.

He points at the octopus and a cloud of shadows falls on it.

5' step and then casting shadow trap on the octopus to the north (right) of Calvin. Will DC 16 or entangled (-2 to hit and -4 DEX) and may not move more than 5' from present spot. Lasts 2 rounds; creature may make a full-round action to get a new save.

I forgot to move my token. Sorry.

Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

As Tobar backpedals, Weyve moves and traps the closest octopus with its own shadow. Gideon swims up and slashes the other mollusk with his machete, allowing Calvin to flank it and finish it off.

Will: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

The remaining octopus struggles in vain to escape. It squirts a cloud of ink into the water, obscuring it from sight.

The octopus has total concealment. (50% miss chance)

Trusting that it's pinned in place, Calvin sweeps his longsword through the cloud of ink.

Power Attack: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (18) + 7 - 1 = 24
Miss Chance: 1d100 ⇒ 59
Damage: 1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 2 = 10

Gideon swims forward until he is in front of Weyve, taking a swing at the cephalopod despite the cloud of ink.

I should have enough movement to get to the square I moved my token to; if I don't, I'll just hang back a bit futher. On a related note, I've gotta pick up a shortspear after we get back to the ship...

Machete Attack+Flank-Underwater: 1d20 + 2 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 + 2 - 2 = 18
Miss Chance: 1d100 ⇒ 16
Machete Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Tobar squints, lines up his crossbow, and does his best to skip a bolt along the surface of the water at the octopus.
Crossbow attack, point-blank: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 1 = 25
Miss chance (>50 hits): 1d100 ⇒ 99
Crossbow damage, point-blank: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Tobar fires a bolt into the ink cloud, the wet think announcing a solid hit. Gideon thrusts his machete at the octopus, but cuts through inky water. Calvin sweeps his sword in a wide arc, managing to catch the octopus with its edge. It floats to the surface of the water, limp and unmoving.

Gideon breathes a sigh of relief when the octopus floats to the surface, unmoving. "Dibs on the next spear we come across." he says in a dry tone.

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"Anyone feel like calamari?" Weyve quips. "They actually do make good eating if you prepare them right."

"There are those small spears the grindylows had. That might do until we find a bigger one."

They would probably count as javelins if you threw them.

Weyve takes a quick look around before proceeding.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

"Now that we took care of the guard dogs, shall we see what they were guarding?"

Weyve doesn't find anything of interest in this cave. You take a few moments to recover from the fight before swimming across the cave and back into shallow waters. After a sharp switchback in the tunnel, a gradual upward slope leads out of the water and into this roughly round chamber with a dome-like ceiling. The floor is covered in a mixture of sand and coarse stones. Rising from the ground near the center of the room is a massive statue of a hand, carved from a smooth, pearlescent, sea-green marble. The hand is bent back at the wrist and posed as if to catch something or to cradle something in its palm. If anything more exists of the statue, it is buried beneath the earth.

The grindylow that escaped earlier is here. Of greater concern, a giant grindylow the size of a human reclines in the hand as if it were a throne. Upon seeing you, she slides down off the hand, rises to her full height and bellows, the sound echoing off the chamber's walls!

Everybody can go before the grindylows. Map has been updated.

Welcome to the game! I look forward to a fun campaign.

Some notes:

I will roll passive Perception checks for your characters when the situation calls for them. To speed things along in combat, I will roll initiative for everybody. Those whose initiative scores are higher than the enemies can post their actions, I'll summarize the results and the monster's actions, then everybody can post for the following round's actions.

I am usually online weekdays between 4:00 AM and noon, and can check in sporadically the rest of the afternoon. I can usually post a few times each day during the week, but my access is limited on the weekends.

The campaign info tab has a list of some of the other colonists aboard the Peregrine with you. In all, there are 50 other people eager to settle Talmandor's Bounty, among them full-time soldiers, eight farmers (some of whom belong to an extended family), eleven carpenters, and seventeen individuals with another general skills to be assigned as needed. In your six weeks aboard the Peregrine, you've had time to get to know some of them. Please select one of the notable ten NPCs with whom you have struck up a friendship or rivalry. I'll give you a little more information about your choice. If you are friends, you get a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks against that individual. If you are rivals, you instead get a +1 bonus on Intimidate checks agaisnt them.

If you would like, you can also come up with your own NPCs to fill out the remainder of the colonists.

Popping in.

I would like to have made friends with Alba Divenvaar, probably when she realized I'm a Gillman and wanted a sample of the oil that keeps my skin safe. I likened to her cause she could help me figure out how to make new brews ON the island instead of importing, and having a unique local brew would do much for attracting more business to the colony.

For non-notables. I'd love to also have a rivalry with Helbret Koors, since he used to own a tavern and he likely has the same goal as I.

Looks like I'm the "grit" part of the title!

Hello folks. I mentioned before that I'm fine with having prior connections with other characters, so if anyone wants a pre-adventure tie, we can work that out now. My character is a largely mundane human from Andoran, so if you're a sea elf or something, our connection is probably pretty recent (adventuring is a fairly new thing for this character).

Hey everyone! I think the character it makes the most sense for Gideon to already know and have a relationship with is Carver Hastings; as both of them are archaeologists and both are keenly interested in learning more about the history of the region, I'm sure they'd be able to get along well, perhaps even to the point where Hastings becomes a sort of mentor for Ross.

I'll make my first in-character post soon, but before I do, I had a question for you Brainiac. I'd very much like to get Gideon a journal for the journey, note-taking and such being important for archaeologists, but the best I can manage is dropping the buckler and swapping the canteen for a waterskin, which would still leave me 2GP/95CP short of the 10 I would need. I don't suppose you might be willing to spot me that amount to get the journal?

Hi guys!

I'm looking forward to this game.

Weyve has only been in Andoran recently so it doesn't make sense for him to have a long-standing friendship with either human character, unless either of you spent a significant amount of time in Tian Xia (which I doubt).

He was born over there but has recently returned to the Inner Sea region. So Calvin he might have known for a year or two.

Gideon he might have been interested to know professionally since they are both historians.

As for contacts within the colony, I was originally thinking of Perrell Beys, but I'm guessing Gideon might want to know her. So I think I will go with the leader, Ramona Avandth, since we have the same alignment. I am also thinking that if she is familiar with Weyve's family history she may have been connected to the Keystone of the Arch of Aroden somehow. Perhaps a part of her family was among the people who received the Keystone on behalf of Andoran.

Gideon, you can start off with a journal.

Calvin:

As a gillman you probably know that you will be fighting in water. FYI unless you have a freedom of movement effect, slashing and bludgeoning weapons only do 1/2 damage in the water (look in the player's guide for details). Only piercing weapons do full damage.

Longswords are really common and thus easy to find, but you might want to switch to a weapon that does piercing damage.

The list of available martial one-handed weapons that do piercing damage isn't that great, but there are a few that are decent.

If you are willing to wait until second level to get power attack you could get Exotic Weapon Proficiency, and there are some on that list that are good. Estoc is by far the best one there, but Doru is decent - you can use it as a martial weapon and then get Exotic proficiency later. Shotel is not bad either - it has a bonus against guys with shields.

Y'know, I'm gonna revise my previous choice and make Perrell my choice of contact. While Carver might be an archaeologist, Perrell's position as historian and Gideon's interest in history seems like it might have given them more opportunity to actually collaborate on a venture at some point in the past. So...yeah. We'll go with Perrell. Besides, who wants to be friends with a middle-aged guy when you have the option of befriending a cute freckled ginger?

Weyve, I'd also be totally cool with the two of them having been in contact before now on some joint venture or discovery or something. It would certainly make it easier to assemble the party if some of us knew each other before being accepted on the expedition.

As far as weapons go, right now Gideon will only carry his machete for right now; I know that eventually I'll need to pick up a piercing weapon for him, but since I spent quite literally every drop of starting money Gideon had, plus some (thanks again, Brainiac!), I'm just gonna hope I'll have a chance to pick him up a dagger or shortspear or rapier or something before we have to hit the waves.

Calvin:

As a gillman you probably know that you will be fighting in water. FYI unless you have a freedom of movement effect, slashing and bludgeoning weapons only do 1/2 damage in the water (look in the player's guide for details). Only piercing weapons do full damage.

Longswords are really common and thus easy to find, but you might want to switch to a weapon that does piercing damage.

The list of available martial one-handed weapons that do piercing damage isn't that great, but there are a few that are decent.

If you are willing to wait until second level to get power attack you could get Exotic Weapon Proficiency, and there are some on that list that are good. Estoc is by far the best one there, but Doru is decent - you can use it as a martial weapon and then get Exotic proficiency later. Shotel is not bad either - it has a bonus against guys with shields.

Yeah, I'm well aware of that! However, that's not something that the character will have considered. I will probably grab up a weapon to use underwater when Calvin realizes it will be necessary. I chose a common weapon for my Steelbound fighter archetype, since I get the feeling that shops are going to be few and far between.

Yeah, I'm well aware of that! However, that's not something that the character will have considered. I will probably grab up a weapon to use underwater when Calvin realizes it will be necessary. I chose a common weapon for my Steelbound fighter archetype, since I get the feeling that shops are going to be few and far between.

Fair enough, though I am guessing that crafting may play a big part in this game. There is always masterwork transformation and then having someone enchant it for you, and you can play with the weapon you started with at level 1.

Ran out of time when posting earlier. Here's some additional info:

The creatures are adjacent to the boat. Fighting themfrom inside the boat is challenging. PCs who remain seated take a –2 penalty on attack rolls. A character can negate this penalty by standing up and attacking, but anyone standing in the boat must attempt a DC 10 Acrobatics check each round in which they attack. Success means they remain standing until they attack again. A PC who fails must attempt a DC 10 Reflex save. If successful, the PC immediately sits back down as a free action (standing back up is a move action, as normal), but a PC who fails this save falls overboard into an adjacent square.

And here is a picture of what they look like.

Tobar's shot will drop the nymph holding Calvin.

Is my action before or after that?

Afterwards, so you won't be grappled on your turn.

I hope I'm not jinxing us by saying this, and I know we've only been going a week, but I'm quite enjoying myself so far, and after eight days, we've got almost 140 posts under our belts, averaging just over 17 posts a day. That's the fastest pace I've ever seen a PbP go at, even at this early stage when there's a lot of excitement about it. I hope the passage of time doesn't slow us down too much!

On an entirely unrelated note, I completely forgot to put a skill point into Disable Device. Hopefully we won't come up to a door that needs unlocking before level two!

Well, a little bit of a jinx: I'll be on vacation from August 28th through September 1st, so I won't be able to post during that week. But I'll pick the pace back up once I return! :D

Im sorry im so slow. 2 kids make me busy as hell.

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Ain't anything to be sorry for, and I hope what I said wasn't taken badly, as it wasn't meant to be. I really am having lots of fun!

As stated earlier, I will be on a cruise next week for my birthday with no internet access. I won't be able to post from Monday August 28th through Friday September 1st. I'll try to catch up and get things back up to speed upon my return. :)

No worries.

Have a great trip!

Seconded! I hope you have a great trip, get a lot of relaxation, and don't get ambushed by grindylows!

Picture of Monkey Goblin

Forgot to link this earlier. :)

I hope I get to find out if Gideon lives before you go on vacation! It would stink to have to wait until you get back.

I hope so too! These guys have had surprisingly good rolls, but the others should be able to beat them.

At least I hope so, or it's gonna be an awfully short campaign... ;)

I know there's plenty of ways to handle it, but if we could get Gideon standing, I have Sleep ready to go.

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Sleep takes one round to cast, so you could lose it if you are hit before it goes off.

That's true, but with the hit that Calvin took, I'd have to roll at least a four on the healing to give him enough HP to put him back in the fight, and that's just with a single HP. It seems like trying to take the monkey goblins out of the fight right now would be a better use of our resources at present.

That's true, but with the hit that Calvin took, I'd have to roll at least a four on the healing to give him enough HP to put him back in the fight, and that's just with a single HP. It seems like trying to take the monkey goblins out of the fight right now would be a better use of our resources at present.

Yeah, we're using too much healing right now. :( My lay on hands will only heal 1d6, and that's all I have left. Which means the two of us together might both heal him and he could still not be conscious.

Still, too bad you didn't take color spray instead. That's a standard action to cast.

Unfortunately, Color Spray isn't on the Bard spell list, which is what Archaeologist pulls from.

Unfortunately, Color Spray isn't on the Bard spell list, which is what Archaeologist pulls from.

Really? :(

You would think that an illusion would fit right in to the bard list.

Yeah, you'd think it would go right on in there, but it's only on the spell list for Bloodrager, Magus, and Sorcerer/Wizard. Pretty sure that's right.

bloodrager 1, magus 1, sorcerer/wizard 1

Yep.

So how has everyone been doing? I don't see any reason to let the game die off while Brainiac is gone. I hope that none of us, or people we know, are in Harvey's path. I was in Houston a couple years ago, at MD Anderson, and the pictures of all that are just heartbreaking. Can't imagine what they're going through.

I'm just fine. I'm in California where our biggest problems are hot summer days and outside politicians advocating for our destruction.

AZ here.
Sun and racist police sheriffs are the big problem here.

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As a Georgian I hear ya about the hot summer days. It hasn't been so bad today, but I think it's because we're getting some cooler weather off of the hurricane.

I'm up in Ontario. The hot days are mostly behind us up here.

That flooding is crazy. But at least the people near the gulf coast are used to tropical storms. They probably have a lot better idea what to do about it than I do.

As I understand it the major way to deal with tropical storm flooding is with good city planning - water pumps, levees, and emergency shelter procedures. Unfortunately Austin, TX, is in a region where the residents generally eschew any sort of planning or regulation, so it's basically unprepared to deal with the realities of tropical flooding.

Huh. CNN just did an article on the very topic.

Also, I meant to type Houston, not Austin. Rookie mistake.

I doubt it helps very much that all the marshes and wetlands that used to soak up excess water from storms like that have been replaced with parking lots.

Yeah, basically. Most municipalities have a minimum height that you have to put the floor above the ground level so that flooding and drainage can accommodate, but Houston has no regulations about that, so people just get horribly flooded. Also there is no city planning for things like how runoff from one area will flood another, so they just don't account for any of this kind of deluge.

The storm of this magnitude would overwhelm any sort of municipal drainage system, but the damage could have been much less, and many areas much safer, if there was any kind of planning and regulation.

My heart goes out to those people, all the same. I was in Houston myself, two years ago, at MD Anderson, having surgery to remove a brain tumor, so seeing pictures of the place underwater and reading about what they had to do with patients at the hospital hit close to home.

And who knows? Maybe this'll be the kick in the pants the city/state need to make sure they're more prepared for the next time it happens.

Got a quick post up on the ship. Be back for real tomorrow!

Damn shame I can't make bows and arrows, just crossbows and bolts.

Also, I would really benefit from that buckler!

I don't have any need for it, so I'm out of the running for the claiming.

So, what do you want to do with the sleeping goblin?

Coup de Grace from me. :)

Don't we want to interrogate it about the missing colonists? It can't have any less information than we have.

It seems very unlikely to me that the thing speaks common, and Gideon doesn't speak goblin. Not to mention the unpredictability keeping such a beast alive would entail. I say coup de grace.

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