Raun stumbles back with a startled yell as she feels the sharp webs on her skin, realizing moments later that they failed to pierce her. The others seem not so fortunat but Raun's attention is drawn elsewhere as she settle into a ready crouch and squints into the dimly lit surrounds.
As the light on her belt flares she glances down at it, and then at the creatures as one of them blasts her with the concentrated light. She hesitates momentarily, considering covering the thing, but forgoes it as she leaps into action.
Moving with even greater speed than her friends would normally credit her, Raun darts through the opening in the webs which Daina's spell has burned and without breaking her stride runs up the side of the ridge to close with both spiders there, swinging her hammer at the furthest one, landing a mighty blow on the crystalline creature.
Gorkhan channels power into the Seeker's Blade and darts out to strike at a nearby spider before moving back towards his allies.
Balls of fire and arcing lightning illuminate the mountainside as the party's spellcasters direct their attention against the approaching spiders.
Daina sets fire to the spider farthest to the northeast with her greater flaming sphere as Nnn'tkklik'l pulls the squealing creature into the collective. Woki and Grit send sparks shooting through several closer foes.
Leaping into action, Raun clambers up the ridge and strikes a staggering blow against the shocked spider to her right. Her might hammer cracks its diamond-like carapace in a dozen places but fails to kill it. Seeing it still alive, Gorkhan darts in to bury his steel blade in its thorax - the spider twitches and collapses.
The remaining spiders swarm toward the group, jaws dripping venom as their sabre-like limbs churn up the dust.
Nnn'tkklik'l's psionic protection absorbs most of the damage from the spiders' vicious bites, but Daina screams as she fangs sink into her shoulder and pump burning venom into her bloodstream. Raun, meanwhile, finds herself caught up in a grapple with one of the two spiders attacking her, hindering her movements.
Immune to poison
Daina hits a knee as the poison sinks in. This is bad. I have to get out of here, if they focus me that poison will have me dead in seconds. She barks out a word and a rift appears that she steps through, appearing on a ledge to the far southwest, hiding behind a tree. She peers down and starts to reach for her metamagic rod...
Raun roars as the spider wraps it's limbs around her, pulling her in close. She shifts her grip on the hammer to her right hand only and jams the heavy head at the creature's face as she starts to flex against it's grip.
Grit, now understanding something more about his enemy, shifts into a huge elemental tigone, 5' stepping if he needs to do so to fit into the space around him. He roars out a warning the the surrounding arachnids.
Frostbite
Call Lightning
Init +3; Senses low light vision, Scent; Perception +13
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 20 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +6 natural, +1 Deflect, -1 Size )
hp 69 (6d8+18)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +9; +2 vs. Poison and Disease
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 Claws +15 (2d6+9) + Grab, +15 Bite (2d8+9) + Grab
Pounce, Rake for 2 Claws +15 (2d6+9)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 28, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 12
Base Atk +5; CMB +15; CMD 31
Elemental Template:
*Darkvision 60’
*Damage reduction 5/-. This increases to DR 10/- at 11th level.
*A 50 percent chance to ignore critical hits, bleed, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. The chance to ignore increases to 75 percent at 11th level.
*Immunity to fire, cold, electricity or acid (choose one when you change form).
*Once per use of wild shape, as a swift action, you can shroud your limbs in the energy type to which you are immune. For one round per level your natural attacks deal +1d6 points of damage of the chosen energy type.
Electrical sparks fly and arc from from the huge cat, jumping across his body and raising his hair wildly.
Woki flicks her fingers this way and that as the crackling orbs of energy go streaking after their targets while she leaps backwards with a quick step and focuses her gaze on the middle spider in three threatening herself, Nnn, and Gorkhan. She shakes the bones at the end of her spear at the arachnid monstrosity and screeches something in Halfling at it.
Round 2
Nnn'tkklik'l takes a step to the south (5ft step) attempts to sap life from the crystal spider in the collective and route it to Raun.
Gorkhan slashes at the nearby spider(s).
Gasping as spider venom rushes through her bloodstream, Daina calls on her magic to relocate to the far edge of the battlefield, where she tries to ignore the increasing shortness of breathe as she fumbles for her magical implements.
Pulling free of the spider's claws, Raun draws her handaxe and prepares for more close-quarters fighting as Grit transforms into a massive tigone crackling with electricity.
Woki, meanwhile, sings to the rolling balls of lightning, directing one onto one of Raun's attackers, scorching it, while causing the other to roll near the nearer group of spiders. Stepping back, he curses one who is unscathed.
Nnn'tkklik'l also retreats, draining life from the spider with the scorched carapace and transferring it to his clutch.
Leaping on the badly injured spider, Gorkhan stabs at the carapace covering its head. His first strike slides off the diamond-like skin but the second finds a crack and slams home into its soft insides. Shuddering, it collapses on the ground.
The hexed spider stumbles forward, lashing at Woki with clumsy limbs. It manages to land a bite on the nimble halfling, but the magic of the halfling's serpent bracers help to keep her safe from the venom.
The remaining spiders focus on the largest targets. On the ridge, the two spiders swarm over Raun, tearing at the half-giant with their scythe-like legs and poisoned bites. Although slashed and bitten in several places, Raun is able to fend off the venom and keep the spiders at arm's length.
Three other spiders climb over Grit, clawing and biting the transformed druid. One latches on tightly to the massive beast, but the spiders cause cause minimal damage, as Grit is immune to poison and his elemental body is resistant to attack.
Daina steadies her deteriorating muscles and pulls out one of her metamagic rods, then points it and her finger down into the fray. "Ixen garmth!" A red bead spotted with gray flies from her finger and gets just past Grit when it explodes outwards violently. The metamagic rod glows gray as Daina chants, weaving the fire around the party with magical dexterity to avoid burning them.
Grit laughs through the telepathic link. <<One grappled me! Saved me the trouble.>>
He then activates his elemental power allowing lightning to dance up and down his limbs and pulls up his rear to and rakes at his grappler.
Frostbite (3 charges potentially used)
Call Lightning
Init +3; Senses low light vision, Scent; Perception +13
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 20 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +6 natural, +1 Deflect, -1 Size )
hp 69 (6d8+18)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +9; +2 vs. Poison and Disease
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 Claws +15 (2d6+9) + Grab, +15 Bite (2d8+9) + Grab
Pounce, Rake for 2 Claws +15 (2d6+9)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 28, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 12
Base Atk +5; CMB +15; CMD 31
Elemental Template:
*Darkvision 60’
*Damage reduction 5/-. This increases to DR 10/- at 11th level.
*A 50 percent chance to ignore critical hits, bleed, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. The chance to ignore increases to 75 percent at 11th level.
*Immunity to fire, cold, electricity or acid (choose one when you change form).
*Once per use of wild shape, as a swift action, you can shroud your limbs in the energy type to which you are immune. For one round per level your natural attacks deal +1d6 points of damage of the chosen energy type.
Woki shakes her spear at the spiders closing around herself and Nnn as the others fight around them. The halfling lets out a war whoop as she motions down her orbs of energy again on the spiders.
The 'kreen uses a fraction of his mental focus to quickly attempt to draw the nearest spider to the left into the collective, then pulls life from the first spider in the collective, sending it Raun's way, before stepping to the south once more (5ft).
Raun uses the held hammer and handaxe to fend of the spiders, managing to keep them at bay and stop them from entangling her limbs. As soon as she clears enough room the handaxe falls from her grip and she lays into the hard mass of creatures with mighty swings from her hammer, her teeth gnashing in feral anger as the familiar, though still hideous visage of the nightmare beast washes over her.
Gorkhan moves and slashes at any nearby spider.
.
[dice=Earthbreaker (Haste)]1d20+17+1
The sky lights up as Daina's fireball explodes among the spiders, the flames somehow missing everyone else.
As the spiders burn and squeal, Grit lashes out with clawed limbs and tears two of the scorched creatures to pieces.
Woki directs her crackling orbs against the spiders, as well, blasting away parts of their carapaces, then hexes the one still menacing Grit, moments before Gorkhan cuts it down with a spinning slash that carries through to damage the spider Woki hexed earlier.
With his previous target now dead, Nnn'tkklik'l concentrates, drawing the spider south of Raun into the collective and diverting some of its life force to the half-giant. Raun, energized by the transfer, roars in anger as she smashes the spider, and the other next to it into bits with her hammer.
Focusing on her breathing, Daina feels as if the poison has started to run its course. She's drawn out of her thoughts as the ground shakes beneath her feet - looking up the steep path, she sees a massive figure approaching, its head and shoulders obscured by a stitched cloak of hides and old sails. She shrinks behind one of the scraggly trees, but the giant's head swivels in her direction. Expecting a physical attack, she is caught off-guard as the giant lifts her with telekinetic force and flings her off the cliff to the south!
At the same time, Raun finds herself under mental assault, although she keeps the intruder from worming fully into her thoughts.
The remaining spider lashes out at anyone within range and, despite Woki's curse, manages to snare the halfling with one claw as it slashes Gorkhan with another.
/2
Nnn'tkklik'l takes a moment to regain the focus he expended, then reaches out to the giant in an attempt to pull it into the collective
Daina is surprised when she gets tossed off the cliff, but she reacts quickly. "Nasir wielg!" She shouts out quickly, causing her fall to be slow and painless. <<Giant to the northwest, he's a psionic!>>
Raun is just turning back towards the others to deal with the remaining spider as she feels something assault her mind. The Champion aids his strength to fend it off and she quickly swivels back to glare further up the path. Her hammer dripping Ichor she yells a challenge, thrusting her hammer forward, twin flashes of light flying ahead of her and she rushes up the path to meet the new foe at the bottom of the incline.
Not aware of the approaching threat Grit 5' adjusts and attempts to tear into the remaining spider.
Frostbite (3 charges potentially used)
Call Lightning
Init +3; Senses low light vision, Scent; Perception +13
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 25, touch 13, flat-footed 20 (+7 armor, +2 Dex, +6 natural, +1 Deflect, -1 Size )
hp 69 (6d8+18)
Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +9; +2 vs. Poison and Disease
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 40 ft.
Melee 2 Claws +15 (2d6+9) + Grab, +15 Bite (2d8+9) + Grab
Pounce, Rake for 2 Claws +15 (2d6+9)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 28, Dex 14, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 12
Base Atk +5; CMB +15; CMD 31
Elemental Template:
*Darkvision 60’
*Damage reduction 5/-. This increases to DR 10/- at 11th level.
*A 50 percent chance to ignore critical hits, bleed, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning. The chance to ignore increases to 75 percent at 11th level.
*Immunity to fire, cold, electricity or acid (choose one when you change form).
*Once per use of wild shape, as a swift action, you can shroud your limbs in the energy type to which you are immune. For one round per level your natural attacks deal +1d6 points of damage of the chosen energy type.
Gorkhan slashes at the nearby spider.
Woki struggles in the spider's grip as she chants in Halfling. Her hand starts to crackle with the same energy as the orbs circling overhead as she reaches out to touch the claw on the crystal spider.
Seeing his companions moving in to finish off the remaining spider, Nnn'tkklik'l focuses his attention on the giant that he can just see approaching over the ridge to the north. Sharpening his thoughts into a psychic claw, the thri-kreen pushes at the giant's mental defenses but is abruptly rebuffed as a wall of psychic force slams down around the giant's oddly-jumbled mind.
Some outside entity - which, strangely, feels almost like entities - seems to be protecting or even controlling the giant, as well as launching various psionic attacks of its own. It just manifested an augmented empty mind.
Daina, landing safely to the south thanks to her quick spell, shudders as the poison continues its deadly journey through her blood. Fighting against the pain and nausea, she focuses on the rolling ball of fire she conjured earlier, sending it floating to the west toward the approaching threat.
Raun, her hammer dripping spider ichor, runs to the west, her fury generating blasts of psychic fire that slam into the giant, leaving smoking holes in the ragged hides lashed to its body.
Grit, Gorkhan and Woki dispatch the remaining spider in a whirlwind of blades, claws and crackling lightning, then turn to face the new threat.
The giant jerks its cowled head for a moment, as if confused, then lumbers toward Raun with surprising speed. Its great spear lashes out, impaling the half-giant through one thick shoulder.
At the same time, the air around the giant shimmers, as if it has raised some sort of psionic defense.
The giant - or some other creature operating on its behalf - has manifested energy adaptation
Two other things happen concurrently: The air around Grit, Gorkhan, Woki and Nnn'tkklik'l begins to throb painfully, the vibrations increasing in intensity until waves of concussive energy, one after another, pulverize the area.
The giant - or some other creature operating on its behalf - manifested concussive onslaught, which will continue to batter the same area in subsequent turns.
Grit, meanwhile, feels funny.
The giant - or some other creature operating on its behalf - has targeted Grit with a death urge.
<<The giant is nothing more than an empty vessel being controlled by others! It just put up energy adaption so elemental attacks will be less effective against it. It's also manifesting concussive onslaught. It put a death urge on Grit, somebody grab him to keep him from hurting himself!" She looks up at the giant. Well, either use the big guns now or never. "Vutha jirai!" a field of rubbery black tentacles appear, burring up from the ground and reaching for the giant. She also moves her flaming sphere another 30 feet closer.
vs DC 24
vs DC 24
vs DC 24
vs DC 24
Nnn'tkklik' steps out of the area of concussive onslaught . Redoubling his effort against the giant's mental barrier, the 'kreen splits his psychic assault into a small centipede, attempting to find cracks in the wall of the enemy's mind while expending a fraction of his own focus .
<<Brother, I take your sight, protect you>> In a hasty attempt to prevent his clutchmate from harming himself, Nnn'tkklik'l turns his head and covers his own eyes with a sleeved arm, and manifests sense link on Grit, attempting to render him blind.
Raun spawns a glance back towards Daina as she says the giant is a decoy, but with the creature now threatening her there's little she can do but deal with the threat. She trusts to the others to blunt whatever is responsible's attacks and find where it is.
Grasping her hammer two handed once more, she stumbles as she steps forward, her first blow going well wide. With the speed granted her by the Champion she swiftly recovers and continues her assault, ignoring the spear wound as she hammers and snaps at the giant.
Gorkhan curses upon hearing the giant was nothing but a puppet, even if a dangerous one. <<Find out where the puppeteers are!>> he transmits before moving towards the more immediate threat, moving a bit closer and studying the giant.
Woki looks around as something pelts them with energy. She shakes off the barrage of force as she moves toward the large tigone that is Grit and starts calling on the aid of the spirits to push back the unseen and sever it's hold on the druid.
The fire in Daina's veins seems to abate for a moment as she intones the words of the spell. Inky black tentacles rise from the ground, wrapping around the giant. The massive figure rips free with ease, tearing the eldritch limbs to wisps. But as it shakes free, one flies up to tear away at its cowl, revealing a pulsating, slime-covered sack of flesh wrapped around the giant's neck. In a flash, another tentacle flickers upward, wrapping around the formless creature and pulling it free.
With the strange creature distracted, Nnn'tkklik'l is almost able to slip past the giant's mental defenses, but it's will is too strong, even without outside protection.
Turning his attention to Grit, the thri-kreen tries to replace the mul's senses with his own, but Grit shrugs off attempt, as well as a protective spell Woki casts as the druid races by toward the southeast cliff.
Unable to run because of the intervening brush, the mind-controlled druid uses his catlike speed to carry him close to the edge then makes a desperate lunge toward the cliff. He slides to a halt a hand's breadth from the edge, his mind already clearing from the mental control.
Reacting too slowly to target the psychic blob, Raun lays into the giant with her hammer, striking it once. Gorkhan moves into position to aid her next round, studying the giant for weakness.
Physical separation from the blob doesn't seem to have improved the giant's mood, and it roars as it stabs at Raun with its spear, piercing the half-giant in two more places.
Caught up in the black tentacles, the brain-like creature thrashes and squeals. It appears to manifest a power, then slips free of the tentacles which flail near it but seem unable to get a grip on the slimy sac, which falls to the ground with a wet smack, where it manifests again. As it does, Daina feels its psychic presence battering at her own as it seeks to take control of her body. She barely manages to ward off the repeated attempts.
The thing manifested slip the bonds, then inertial barrier and mind control against Daina.
Nnn'tkklik'l expends the last of his focus to deflect the damage from one of the attacks Raun suffered to himself, taking the damage in full and sparing Raun.
Raising his arms and spreading them all the way out, there is an audible CRACKK as the thri'kreen's carapace crumbles and his clothing becomes wet with yellow ichor. His arms curl close and the 'kreen nearly falls to the ground. The worst of Raun's bleeding wounds stop bleeding as they swell with a resinous yellow poultice from within, much of which quickly dries into a crust and falls off in the dry desert air, revealing bruises where once there were deep lacerations.
The insectiod form remains quiet, though enough movement is apparent to show the creature yet lives.
Daina directs all her energy towards speeding the flaming sphere across the ground, aiming at the brain-like creature. Meanwhile her tentacles continue to grasp at the enemies.
Raun's assault falters slightly as Daina's tentacles reveal the other creature, her eyes darting between the two. With a roar she shifts her attention to the new foe, presumably the one responsible for the attempts on her mind.
Gorkhan darts out at the giant but fails to connect.
At the sounds of Nnn's carapace breaking, Woki chants to the spirits and funnels their healing energies into herself. <<Quick. Spirits send help for your shell.>> Her other hand is busy directing traffic toward the giant.