Professor Forol examines Bryson's finds through a small glass disc affixed to his eye.
"Fascinating! They are old certainly, perhaps as much as fourth dynasty, but Osirioni! How came they here I wonder...?"
Annies search for magic auras leads her over by the well, where Phillip stares down about 30 feet to where the dry well is choked with dried sticks. Concentrating, her spell reads several magic sources down in the well.
Phillip suddenly really hopes they are sticks down there.
Phillip and Annie hear it first, a faint sussurus like thousands of little mouse feet scampering over large sheets of paper.
Then it gets louder.
And louder!
They see the bottom of the well suddenly swell up towards them, a horrid mass of eyes, mouths, and formless flesh staring in all directions, but mostly at you; its countless maws yammering ceaslessly.
This is a Gibbering Mouther; a horrid Abberation related to the much more dangerous Shoggoth. It can cause confusion with its yammering, drain blood with it's many mouths, engulf a victim and even spit acid at range. It is resistant to slashing and piercing weapons, and has no definable internal organs to target with precise attacks.
Jumping back from the edge of the well, Phillip lets out a warning shout as he grabs a vial of alchemical fire from his belt and hurls it down the well onto the creature.
Will:
Dungeoneering:
"Get back! That thing will suck your blood out!" Dgrim moves forward as quickly as he can.
Annie seems poleaxed for a moment, then shakes herself free of the monster's strange influence.
annie looks over a Dgrim in horror and backs away, ending up next to Bryson and casts a spell asking for Cayden Cailean's blessings on the party.
Will
Bryson takes a step forward to get in between Annie and the monster, then launches an ice bolt.
Icicle: RTouch
to hit damage
Ghirrak stands his ground, waiting for the creature to advance.
ROUND 1____________________
The entire party teeters on the edge of insanity from the mad gibbering of the Mouther, but do not succumb.
____________________________
Phillip Pharlan(Male Half-elf Sorc 3 / Rogue 2)
Jumping back from the edge of the well, Phillip lets out a warning shout as he grabs a vial of alchemical fire from his belt and hurls it down the well onto the creature.
The vial strikes the creature, but it’s soft body doesn’t cause the glass to break. As it heaves it’s bulk out of the well, the vial rolls off its body and falls to the ground next to it. It bursts there and causes some burn damage to the creature.
____________________________
Dgrim Urnidukr(Male Dwarf Shielded Fighter 5)
"Get back! That thing will suck your blood out!" Dgrim moves forward as quickly as he can.
___________________________
Gull Street Annie(Female Human Cleric 5)
Annie seems poleaxed for a moment, then shakes herself free of the monster's strange influence.
annie looks over a Dgrim in horror and backs away, ending up next to Bryson and casts a spell asking for Cayden Cailean's blessings on the party.
___________________________
Bryson Deepwinter
Bryson takes a step forward to get in between Annie and the monster, then launches an ice bolt.
The Ice Bolt seems to deflect away from the creature when it hits, dealing no damage.
____________________________
Ghirrak Ironfist
Ghirrak stands his ground, waiting for the creature to advance.
___________________________
Professor Forol
Professor Forol seems paralysed at the moment.
____________________________
Gibbering Mouther
The non-euclidean horror throws out several pseudopods with fanged maws at both Phillip and Bryson.
Attack 1 vs Phillip: for a possible bite damage plus grab. If grabbed, Grapple check vs Phillips CMD.
Attack 2 vs Phillip: for a possible bite damage plus grab. If grabbed, Grapple check vs Phillips CMD.
Attack 3 vs Phillip: for a possible bite damage plus grab. If grabbed, Grapple check vs Phillips CMD.
Attack 1 vs Bryson: for a possible bite damage plus grab. If grabbed, Grapple check vs Phillips CMD.
Attack 2 vs Bryson: for a possible bite damage plus grab. If grabbed, Grapple check vs Phillips CMD.
Attack 3 vs Bryson: for a possible bite damage plus grab. If grabbed, Grapple check vs Phillips CMD.
GM: 42
ROUND 2____________________
Bryson tries to escape the grasp of the mouther.
Seeing him struggle against the grip of the foul creature in front of them, Annie lays a hand on Bryson's shoulder and grants him a blessing of strength against it.
"Cayden Cailean bless you with strength for this battle, my love!"
Dgrim steps forward and brings his shield down on the mouther with both hands.
(npc) Ghirrak
Ghirrak attacks with his readied stunning fist.
Sprinting forward, Ghirrak snaps his iron hard fist into the body of the Mouther.
Attack: but the rubbery hide of the Mouther absorbs the force.
ROUND 2____________________
Bryson Deepwinter
Bryson tries to escape the grasp of the mouther.
With great effort, Bryson tears his arm away from the horrid teeth of the Gibbering Mouther.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬____________________________
Gull Street Annie(Female Human Cleric 5)
Seeing him struggle against the grip of the foul creature in front of them, Annie lays a hand on Bryson's shoulder and grants him a blessing of strength against it.
"Cayden Cailean bless you with strength for this battle, my love!"
____________________________
Dgrim Urnidukr(Male Dwarf Shielded Fighter 5)
Dgrim steps forward and brings his shield down on the mouther with both hands.
You can see the crystallization shock run through the body of the Mouther as Dgrim slams his shield onto it’s amorphous body.
____________________________
(npc) Phillip Pharlan
Phillip twists desparately to try to get free.
Escape Artist: Success! Phillip rolls free.
____________________________
(npc) Ghirrak
Ghirrak attacks with a flurry of blows.
Attack 1: Miss.
Attack 2: Direct hit! for crush damage.
______________________________
Professor Forol
Sling attack: Hit! for crush damage.
____________________________
Gibbering Mouther
The non-euclidean horror throws out several pseudopods with fanged maws at both Ghirrak and Dgrim.
Attack 1 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 2 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 3 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 1 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Attack 2 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Attack 3 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Acidic Spittle attack vs Bryson ranged touch AC: Hit! Bryson is blinded for rounds unless he makes a DC18 Fort save.
GM: 21
ROUND 3____________________
Fort
"Cayden Cailean bless you with strength for this battle, my love!"
Annie's words causes Bryson to do a double take. His moment of shock is enough to give the amorphous blob of mouths an opening that it uses to blind him. Bryson's shape changes into Bryson-cat and follows his nose to the get within claws reach (S6) of the abhorrent creature.
After struggling free from the hideous creatures attack, Phillip slides toward the back wall. Quickly he draws his bow and sends an arrow flying toward the mouther hoping it will punch through the thing's defenses.
Annie slides in behind Bryson and a bit to the side for a clearer shot, drawing her crossbow, and fires at the creature herself.
"It's skin to difficult to cut. Find something to bash it with!" Dgrim tries to maneuver the aberration into a corner.
Reposition:
ROUND 3____________________
Bryson Deepwinter
Annie's words causes Bryson to do a double take. His moment of shock is enough to give the amorphous blob of mouths an opening that it uses to blind him. Bryson's shape changes into Bryson-cat and follows his nose to the get within claws reach (S6) of the abhorrent creature.
___________________________
Phillip Pharlan
After struggling free from the hideous creatures attack, Phillip slides toward the back wall. Quickly he draws his bow and sends an arrow flying toward the mouther hoping it will punch through the thing's defenses.
Phillip’s shot simply bounces off the rubbery hide of the monster.
___________________________
Gull Street Annie
Annie slides in behind Bryson and a bit to the side for a clearer shot, drawing her crossbow, and fires at the creature herself.
Annie's shot simply bounces off the rubbery hide of the monster.
___________________________
Dgrim Urnidukr
"It's skin to difficult to cut. Find something to bash it with!" Dgrim tries to maneuver the aberration into a corner.
But he completely fails, unable to handle the constantly struggling amorphous blob.
___________________________
(npc) Ghirrak
Ghirrak attacks with another flurry of blows.
Attack 1: Miss.
Attack 2: Miss.
Ghirraks punches simply bounce off the rubbery hide of the monster.
___________________________
Professor Forol
Sling attack: : Miss.
Forol's shot simply bounces off the rubbery hide of the monster.
___________________________
Gibbering Mouther
The non-euclidean horror throws out several pseudopods with fanged maws at both Ghirrak and Dgrim.
Attack 1 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 2 vs Ghirrak: Hit! for bite damage plus grab. Grapple check vs Ghirraks CMD. No Grapple.
Attack 3 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 1 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Attack 2 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Attack 3 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Acidic Spittle attack vs Annie ranged touch AC: . Hit! Annie is blinded for rounds unless she makes a DC18 Fort save.
GM: 29
ROUND 4____________________
Bryson-cat pounces!
Bite: wildshape, bull strength
to hit damage
Claw: wildshape, bull strength
to hit damage
Claw: wildshape, bull strength
to hit damage
confirm crit: wildshape, bull strength
to hit damage
"Ah!", Annie cried, stumbling back a the foul spittle blinded her. She wiped desperately at her eyes.
Dgrim bashes with his shield.
Attack:
Damage:
Cursing as his previous shot bounced off the things elastic hide, Phillip tries again hoping that this time the arrow will find a soft spot in the creatures defenses.
ROUND 4____________________
Bryson Deepwinter
Bryson-cat pounces!
The powerful bite beats the rubbery hide and gets a mouthful of strangely biting gel, which sprays into the air.
The first claw cannot penetrate the rubbery hide.
The second claw digs deep, but does little to the amorphous physiology. (Immunity to Crits.)
___________________________
Gull Street Annie(Female Human Cleric 5)
"Ah!", Annie cried, stumbling back a the foul spittle blinded her. She wiped desperately at her eyes.
____________________________
Dgrim Urnidukr(Male Dwarf Shielded Fighter 5)
Dgrim bashes with his shield.
But he cannot get a good angle and misses.
_____________________________
Phillip Pharlan(Male Half-elf Sorc 3 / Rogue 2)
Cursing as his previous shot bounced off the things elastic hide, Phillip tries again hoping that this time the arrow will find a soft spot in the creatures defenses.
The shot is perfect, but it gets hung up in the creatures rubbery hide; it dangles there uselessly until a mouth opens up where it penetrated and spits it out.
____________________________
(npc) Ghirrak
Ghirrak again attacks with a flurry of blows.
Attack 1: Miss.
Attack 2: Miss.
But his fists merely bounce off of the creatures rubbery skin.
______________________________
Professor Forol again picks up a skull and slings it against the creature.
Sling attack: : Hit! for crush damage. Again you see the white shock effect roll through it's body.
========================
Gibbering Mouther
Again the non-euclidean horror throws out several pseudopods with fanged maws at both Ghirrak and Dgrim.
Attack 1 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 2 vs Ghirrak: Hit! for bite damage plus grab. Grapple check vs Ghirraks CMD. No grapple.
Attack 3 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 1 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Attack 2 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Attack 3 vs Dgrim: Hit! for bite damage plus grab. Grapple check vs Dgrims CMD. Dgrim is Grappled! The creature begins to engulf him...
Acidic Spittle attack vs Phillip ranged touch AC: . Hit! Phillip is blinded for rounds unless he makes a DC18 Fort save.
GM: 16
ROUND 5____________________
Bryson cat continues to slash the amorphous form of the gibbering mouther.
Bite: wildshape, bull strength
to hit damage
Claw: wildshape, bull strength
to hit damage
Claw: wildshape, bull strength
to hit damage
Annie, seeing Dgrim grappled and her friends' weapons making little impact, prays for a greater blessing from Cayden Cailean.
ROUND 5____________________
Bryson Deepwinter
Bryson cat continues to slash the amorphous form of the gibbering mouther.
Bryson’s frenzied attack manages one good hit on the creature.
______________________________
Gull Street Annie(Female Human Cleric 5)
Annie, seeing Dgrim grappled and her friends' weapons making little impact, prays for a greater blessing from Cayden Cailean.
She casts Prayer:+1 luck bonus to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves and skill checks. Enemies take -1 penalty on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves and skill checks.
_______________________________
[npc] Dgrim Urnidukr(Male Dwarf Shielded Fighter 5)
Dgrim struggles to free himself.
Break grapple: But can't pull himself free.
________________________________
[npc] Phillip Pharlan(Male Half-elf Sorc 3 / Rogue 2)
Phillip Attack with Bow(+1): But misses horribly.
_______________________________
(npc) Ghirrak
Ghirrak again attacks with a flurry of blows.
Attack 1: .
Attack 2: .
But again he cannot get a clean angle to hit the creature.
______________________________
Professor Forol again picks up another skull and slings it against the creature.
Sling attack: . But misses again.
========================
Gibbering Mouther
Again the non-euclidean horror throws out several pseudopods with fanged maws at both Ghirrak and Dgrim.
Attack 1 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 2 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 3 vs Ghirrak: Miss.
Attack 1 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Attack 2 vs Dgrim: Miss.
Engulf Attack vs Dgrim vs CMD: The creature sucks Dgrim into it's body! Immediately Dgrim takes damage plus 2 points of Con damage.
Acidic Spittle attack vs Professor Forol ranged touch AC: . Hit! Professor Forol is blinded for rounds unless he makes a DC18 Fort save.
Professor Forol save: Fail! Professor Forol is blinded!
GM: 12
ROUND 6____________________
Bite: wildshape, bull strength, prayer, bless
to hit damage
Claw: wildshape, bull strength, prayer, bless
to hit damage
Claw: wildshape, bull strength, prayer, bless
to hit damage
Phillip's hands fly to his eyes as the acid sprays across his face. Staggering back against the wall he overcomes his natural instinct to rub at the acid and instead grabs his canteen. Quickly pouring the canteen's contents over his eyes a shiver runs down his spine at the thought of any permanent damage. As the water flows over his burning eyes, he listens and hopes that the creature won't notice him until he can safely see again.
Dgrim draws his handaxe and tries to cut through from the inside.
Attack:
Damage:
Dgrim draws his handaxe and tries to cut through from the inside.
Attack: 1d20+10
Damage: 1d6+5
Annie gasps in horror as Dgrim is sucked into the mostrous creature, and calls on Cayden Cailean to heal her friends, excluding their enemy from his blessings
Bryson's frenzied attack spatters a lot of the creatures matter all over himself, Ghirrak and the walls around him.
But it is Dgrim's handaxe exploding out of the creatures body that finishes it.
The creature shreiks in multi part harmony as it explodes apart, each gibbering mouth slithering away and out of sight under skulls and down cracks.
The noise finally dies away leaving you all in silence. Dgrim stands free but covered in digesitve juices.
Making liberal use of Annies Create Water (or Beer as the case may be), you finally clear your eyes of the Mouthers spittle. There is no sign of it.
Bryson-Cat scratches through the skulls like it's a large box of crunchy, chunky, kitty litter.
Perception
Annie looks at her friends to see if they need more healing.
Unless there's some prior damage everyone should be full except for Dgrim with only a couple of points of damage left.
Hearing the creatures death shriek, Phillip leans back against the wall. He feels the healing energy from Annie flowing over his wounds, but his eyes continue to sting and blink rapidly as they slowly recover from the acid.
As his vision clears he offers Annie a quick nod and with a smile says, "Many thanks for the healing. Perhaps next time we should be more careful when looking down a old, dark, mysterious well." Chuckling lightly he adds, "With that creature gone, maybe we should give it another try."
He then walks back over to the well. As he gazes over the rim his eyes begin to glow with a faint aqua aura.
Bryson entertains himself by digging after the fleeing remnants of the creature, but whenever he finds one it just scuttles away gibbering madly and slips through a crack he cannot even begin to try.
Annie heals everyone of what hp damage they had, leaving only Dgrims Con drain.
You first feel the presence of magic; with concentration, you can feel the location of a low level source down below in the well. Maybe thirty feet or so, right at the limit of the spell.
Leaning further out over the well's edge, Phillip says to the others. "It looks like there's something magical down there. It's not strong but it's not very far down either."
Pulling out his rope he ties it off on one of the nearby stone statues and tosses it over the edge of the well. "I should be able to climb down quick and grab it." With a wry grin he adds, "Hopefully there aren't any more of those critters down there."
It is a fairly simple task to climb down into the well if you take your time; the well fitted stone blocks are somewhat decayed, giving excellent fingerholds.
At the bottom, sticks crackle and pop under Phillips feet. Then you realize as you look closer that the bottom of the well is entirely filled with skeletonized corpses.
Searching through the remains, you see any flesh, leather and cloth are completely gone. Metallic armor, weapons and buckles are pitted and ruined. Only a handfull of semi-precious gemstones, a platinum bracelet, a bone wand, and an untouched dagger; the source of the magic Phillip detected. If you take an hour, you can also find 124 gold coins of at least 700 years old and several nations.
You feel a breath of air from one of the walls. It feels cooler and drier than the humid jungle air you are mostly used to now.
Phillip slips the gems, bracelet, wand, and dagger into his pouch.
"I've found a few trinkets down here that might make the trip worth while." He shouts back up to the others.
Feeling the odd puff of air from the wall as he starts to climb back up he stops and pauses.
"Hmmmm. That's weird." He says. "There's air flowing in down here. Give me a second, I'm going to see if I can find where it's coming from."
Removing his gloves, Phillip mutters a few words and conjours a small globe of red light just above his head. As his eyes adjust, he spends several minutes running his hands slowly and lightly across the surface of the well where he felt the breeze. Occasionally he pauses to take note of anything that might indicate a hidden doorway, tunnel or other exit from the ancient pit.