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"Guthruc think they make good warband. Guthruc and allies should beat and recruit." He says this while attemping to steer the party in the direction of the monsters.
”Can’t eat shadows.” Iorskan grumbled.
"But frogs and pointy-eared archers are just as good," Jen cajoles, steering Elminster and the squad of donkey-riding kobolds away from the hollow. "Besides, I have it on good authority that you can't hurt the Shadows."
She looks to Ozzy to back up her assertion. "So do you really want to rely on us weak-willed mages to take them out?"
Awn watches the back and forth, but just can't seem to work out what could entice the Shadows to join their mad band.
"If we, Shadows have offended, let us not tarry here. Alien they seem, Ozzy's shadow'd kind notwithstanding. Guthruc - Iorskan is correct - you cannot eat them, so how are they to be trusted? Let us move on say I?" the woodborn sings, clearly still affected by the orevious encounter with the Satyrs.
Awn checks that the new Satyr is fitting in well with the group by giving him a big smile, made up mostly of wooden teeth.
Rakgah responds to Bright Awn's grin with one of his own - it's a stress response. "If a lack of shadows has you saddened, think but this and all is . . . damnation. Can we just all agree to pretend that saddened and mended rhyme? But at least the carrion eaters won't pick at our life-drained husks, fighting 'mongst themselves for the choicest cuts."
Guthruc rolls his eyes. "Fine, Guthruc follow ally. But only cause no want to rebuild warband if ally die without Guthruc to fight. Guthruc could kill shadow by self if wanted to." There is a pause. "Mark on map for later though.
The party's crossing another river, hoping to make camp on the far side of it, when disaster strikes! Disaster being reeflclaws. Everyone in the party excepting Auchs, Guthruc, Iorskan, and Elminster are on one side of the river together (Iorksan already flew you across). Elminster is on the other. Auchs is just past the middle of it, Guthruc and Iorskan are assisting him. It'll take seven rounds to reach the nearest riverbank, at which point any pursuing reeflclaws could be easily cut down by the campaigning party. We'll call that or the elimination of the reeflclaws the victory condition.
There isn't much that most of the NPCs can contribute, but Townsend will use truestrikes in conjunction with longbow to damage the aberrations, which have improved cover from the water, and Auchs will be knocking them away with his awesome blows. If someone thinks of a winning strategy that requires an NPCs abilities, tell them.
The first indication that anything is wrong is Auchs crying out in pain. "Something pinched me!" he proclaims. Squinting into the water, you can barely make out the forms of five mine sized monsters, each looking like an unholy cross between lobster and eel. The pack predators fan out to surround Auchs, attacking him from all sides.
One of the reefclaws lathes onto your ogre! . . . seeing as said ogre is being more or less dragged by Guthruc and Iorskan, I don't see that that changes much. Party's up!
Mr. Winky flies out toward the ogre, drawing his wand of Silent Image, while Ozzy asks the rest of the group What's the biggest predator in these waters, at the top of the foodchain? I need to know what it looks like.
It'll take seven rounds to reach the nearest riverbank, at which point any pursuing reeflclaws could be easily cut down by the campaigning party.
Guthruc attempts to keep flying, but the lack of rest from the previous night has caught-up with him and he finds his borrowed strength fading for the first time. He starts losing altitude, submerging Auchs deeper into the harem of reefclaws. Guthruc slips out of rage and finds his sudden mental acuity alarming.
I'm falling. Where are my wings? Why do I feel so depleted? so... drained?
he rolls off Auchs's shoulder into the water.
Recovering from the shock, Guthruc pulls his club from his teeth and starts swimming.
He tries to swim to shore, but he doesn't get far before a reefclaw finds him looking like McDonalds fries, delicious, but probably terrible for your health. Guthruc swings, finding that large blunt objects do not move well underwater.
Guthruc knocks the abomination unconcious and uses his quick-runners shirt to push out another several feet towards the banks.
EDIT:
Jen racks her brain for information on Reefclaws and the river ecosystem.
Knowledge Check (Nature): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Calling reefclaws river predators is disingenuous. They ambush land dwelling creatures when they're least able to defend themselves, and either drag them into the water or retreat to let their poison run it's course. Highly intelligent (compared to, like, wolves, not compared to humans or elves), they don't really have natural predators - an individual reefclaw'd be no match for, say, a crocodile, but reefclaws strive not to be caught out as individuals.
They're smart enough to use language, and many understand Taldane, thought they can't pronounce it themselves, communicating among their own kind via a fairly sophisticated sign language that's poorly understood by those four-limbed scholars with no color control for their carapaces.
Guthruc knocks the abomination unconcious and uses his quick-runners shirt to push out another several feet towards the banks.
Iorskan flew overhead, looking for Guthruc. His friend had fallen in the water, and naturally, something wanted to eat the orc. Once he spotted Guthruc, he dived down with his talons, seeking to lift the berserker to safety.
After spending a moment to recall what she can about reefclaws, Jen relays their lack of natural predators and their sign language communication to the rest of the group.
Iorskan swoops out of the sky and pulls Guthruc above the water. Auchs struggles to stay afloat with only Anura to help him.
Auchs sinks below the water, holding his breath.
Awn sees the bulky ogre fail to swim, or heck, even float. The seer moves a little closer, and holding his hands out toward the water, in a manner he has seen other spellcasters manage, casts a spell. Small motes of inflorescence creep from his midsection up his back down his shoulders and arms to the tips of his dendritic fingers as waves of causality wibble and wobble all timey-wimey.
Standard Action: Cast seer spell timely maneuver. Is cast as a move action, which I am swapping for my Standard.
The seer may transfer her ability to act to another. The affected
creature immediately gains a move action.
.
Guthruc sees Auchs go under and rolls his eyes
"Iorskan, the help ogre dumb. He is to drown going."
he shouts back to jen, in a tongue he better understands
"The creatures understand the common tongue? I wonder how well they might fare in my warband?"
"Stop attack on ogre, or Guthruc kill and eat all eel-lobster. If hungry, follow Guthruc and warband. Leave much meat in path; more than ally meat have."
Guthruc finds himself less-than-convincing when he is being air-lifted by a dragon and half-submerged.
Jen watches Guthruc's floundering attempt at diplomacy. She knows well that, with her distinct lack of presence or intimidating characteristics, any attempt she made would fall just as flat.
Plan B it is, then...
"Stand back, I'm hitting them up with the light show," Jen yells. As soon as she has a clear shot, the tiefling gestures with her hand and sends a wash of riotous colours at the reefclaws.
"Stand back, I'm hitting them up with the light show," Jen yells. As soon as she has a clear shot, the tiefling gestures with her hand and sends a wash of riotous colours at the reefclaws.
Auchs surfaces!
Suprised by the ogre's Awn-enhanced speed as it powers through the water, the reefclaws' claws close on naught at all.
Iorskan kept flying Guthruc to safety. The ogre would have to fend for himself, for now.
The reefclaws continue their assault, catching up to and swarming the ogre. Frantically, Auchs bats at one of them as it moves through his reach.
The reefclaw catches air before splashing back down! It won't be attacking Auchs this round, or getting an AoO when he moves.
The reefclaws score several hits on Auchs, but fortunately their venom is yet to slow the giant down.
Auchs makes no progress towards land, but doesn't flounder either. Party's up!
Iorskan, having deposited the orc, goes back for the giant-kin. It would be a Herculean task, but he was going to try!
Stuggling with Iorskan the whole time, Guthruc makes it clear that he doesnt like unwillingly being carried around, espescially away from the fight. In fact, once Iorskan releases the frustrated Guthruc, he dives right back into the water.
He wasn't going to be seen running from such weak prey. And their refusal to join the warband was as good as requesting death in Guthruc's eyes.
Alas, Guthruc is too focused on how little energy he has without his rage, that he slips on a wet rock running through the shallow waters... at this rate of embarassment, he considers just laying there to drown.
Jen moves towards the river's edge and hails down Anura, "Help me get out there!" she calls. She gestures towards the reefclaws writhing around, hot on Auch's heels.
Iorskan cannot lift Auchs clear of the water, but he can aid Auch's swim check for a +2 bonus. This brings Auchs up to a 15, and he makes it another ten feet forward!
Jen's planᵀᴹ is explained to the frogfolk, and he carries Jen out to colorspraying range. This probably takes a round or two, but Jen's been a round or two without acting so we'll say you set it up earlier. With a bit of positioning, all four reefclaw are fit in the cone's range.
Reefclaws three and four are unconscious, blinded, and stunned for rounds; and then blinded and stunned for rounds, and then stunned for one round.
The two conscious reefclaw remaining decide that they prefer their fights a little more one-sided than this is proving to be, and withdraw, leaving their three hapless helpless comrades behind!
Awn crouches down by the water's edge and reaching in lets the liquid trickle through his fingers.
Like magic flowing, the river sings...
He looks up, his smile gone. A grim countenance. He calls to Auchs with unfeigned concern.
"My burly friend. Is your kind nest harmed?"
Tired from carrying a very large orc and then trying to lift an ogre, Iorskan landed on the ground and lay down. His chest heaved from the exertion. Still, no friend had died. That was good. But no enemies died either. That was bad. With nothing to eat and not caring enough to say anything, he took a well earned rest.
"Well," Jen says, "Three's company." She sets to work on scooping up the toothy eel creatures and towing them back to the shoreline.
Striking a victorious pose that probably looks a bit awkward given that she's drenched and precariously balanced atop a giant frog, she hails down the rest of the group. "Our new prospective allies," she proclaims, pointing at the trio of reefclaws.
Do you think they understand Common?
Guthruc gets up from his poor attempt at swimming and sulks back to shore, cursing under his breath in orc.
While waiting for the Reefclaws to regain consciousness, Ozzy uses the healing wand on anyone who needs it.