Hoping to save one of his shifts the day of the teleportation, Grit takes the form of an eagle the night before.
Upon waking Grit prepares his spells for the day and casts a few buffs in advance of the teleportation. He casts Frostbite on both his Tigone and himself and Longstrider on himself.
When the group arrives Grit sends <<I will do a quick flight to get the lay of the land and look for immediate danger while you all make your way towards the tower with care. Then I will come back and check in. Agreed? >> If there is no objection Grit will launch himself into the sky and begin scouting.
Now _that_ was fast... Gorkhan thinks as he looks around their new surroundings. Taking in the dunes and rocks, he ends staring up at the fortress at the base of the cliff. Well, at least it isn't buried... He nods at Grit, voicing no objection.
Daina thanks the Wanderer before he goes, internalizing the teleportation spell he performed. After a minute she snaps out of it and addresses the party. <<Grit, I think you should lead how we search the ruins. I'm going to find a place to camp.>> She places a glowing hand on her chest. "Wiap." Daina floats into the air. <<I'll be back within ten minutes.>>
Woki squints as she scans the ruins in the distance. She nods to Lon and sets the glowing kes'trekel off flying toward Arkhold to scout. <<This one thinks the spirits warn that the deadhearts are close but the tall-ones and this one have reached here just before them. Little time left. Quick quick in search and preparations.>>
Nnn'tkklik'l performs some quick calculations before sketching a crude map in the sand to show the likely location of the knights' old chapterhouse. Bird-form Grit studies the map carefully before flapping his wings and taking flight over the dune-covered ruins.
Followed closely by Lon, Grit circles low over the dunes, studying the tattered maze of walls poking up from the sand.
The dust blowing in off the Sea of Silt makes it difficult to see, but Grit's predator's eyes manage to pick up movement among the sand-covered ruins. Half a dozen or more lean shapes race across the dunes, carried along by scythe-like claws - a pack of dune reapers.
Shifting his focus toward the cliff, Grit glides on and soon is circling over the area Nnn'tkklik'l had identified. A tall mound of sand dominates the area, but the wind has uncovered a portion of the ruins about 50 yards to the east.
A depression in the sand - perhaps caused by one of the sinkholes the Wanderer had mentioned - is criss-crossed by several low walls that have been worn down to almost nothing. Near them, a small building appears mostly intact. Perhaps a cellar or sewer entrance remains beneath? The shifting winds make it difficult to tell, but the sand near the building appears to have been disturbed, as if someone or something was digging in the area recently.
Daina is successful in her own search, as well. Taking heed of the Wanderer's advice, she flies north along the cliff, seeking a campsite outside the edges of the city. She finds a likely spot a quarter mile away, where a shallow depression in the cliff face is protected by a roof-like shelf of sandstone.
Waiting with Nnn'tkklik'l, Orryn and the others, Woki and Raun poke around the immediate area. A few yards away, a crescent-shaped sand dune shields the remains of a fire pit. The ashes are long dead - at least a week old - as are the well-gnawed bones dumped in a pile close by. Pulling aside the scraps of an old tent, the halfling and her half-giant ally find several footprints, each one unshod, flat-footed and half again as long as Raun's.
Daina comes back and reenters the collective. <<I found a good spot to camp. Anybody else have any luck?>>
"Giant camp over here. More than a week old." Raun replies to Daina's question, looking at the others, then out towards where Grit had flown off to.
After his scouting Grit flies back to the group, landing near his tigone. Shaking the sand from is feathers the angular bird rearguards the group. << I think I have spotted a way down. There is a depression in the sand - perhaps caused by one of the sinkholes the Wanderer mentioned. It is criss-crossed by several low walls. And there os a small building that appears mostly intact and the sand near the building appears to have been disturbed, as if someone or something was digging in the area recently. Also there is a pack of dune reapers near-by. Perhaps they will not get out scent, but we should be prepared.>>
It is still several hours before mid-day when Daina and Grit both return to the main group. After relaying what they have seen, it is up to the group to decide how to proceed.
Based on the natural lore he learned from his druid master, Durwadala, Grit knows that dune reapers tend to be most active during the day, when the hot sun sets their blood pumping in search of food. At night they are sluggish, less prone to wander, and might be easier to avoid. As for the cannibal giants, it depends - if their eyesight is good, they might operate at night to take advantage of the lower temperature and inactivity of the reapers. The legends about the ruins that the Wanderer relayed certainly included mention of dangerous creatures that hunted Arkhold in the dark of the night.
Woki fiddles with one of the gnawed bones they found, carving lines in it with her dagger as thinks, <<Hunting beasts or hunting giants, which is less likely to eat us? This one says hunt the beasts and go with the light. At least, beasts will supplement food we will need in journey.>>
Taking flight, bird-Grit seeks out the dune reapers once again, finding them grouped together on one of the taller dunes, intently watching the ruins for movement.
With a shrill cry, the druid summons a red-scaled crodlu on the next mound over. Startled, the wingless avian sniffs at the air, its eyes rolling in alarm as it scents the nearby predators. Screeching in panic, the crodlu sets off the west at a sprint. As if by instinct, the dune reapers' heads swivel toward the fleeing creature, their muscular bodies already moving as they take off in pursuit.
With the path cleared, the rest of the groups begin making their way across the dunes. The shifting sand makes for slow going, and the sun is just past its zenith when they reach the depression Grit had scouted from the air.
The dunes seem to recede here, revealing the remains of several walls made of massive bricks. To the north, a square, slate-roofed structure appears mostly intact, the pale stone seeming to gleam in the sun like metal.
<<Search building?>> Raun suggests, moving towards the structure.
Gorkhan stays to the shadows and keeps his eyes open as they move foward.
Woki sniffs at the air as she squints her eyes against the glare from the pale stone, <<Where do tall-ones store weapons and frozen words?>>
Silt rises in a cloud around you as you slide down into the depression and advance into the ruins uncovered by the wind. With Grit flying above, you advance on the most intact structure, which is surrounded by disturbed sand.
Drawing closer, you notice tracks in the sand - large tracks, like the ones you found in the destroyed camp outside the ruins. Just then, a gust of wind blows across the sand, lifting the flap of a hide cloak that had been buried under a thin layer of dust. Beneath, you see the flash of white eyes, before a large shape shifts and begins rising from the sand.
Around it, you see other shapes starting to move beneath the sand, as a almost a dozen creatures rise in ambush. The size of half-giants, the figures are deformed and neckless, but powerfully built. Crude hide armor covers their arms and torsos, the leather laced with bits of what appears to be metal. Their massive fists clutch long bone shafts lined with rows of jagged fragments of steel blades!
The 'kreen will attempt to pull the farthest-back enemy into the collective, and if it fails he will expend psionic focus to attempt to do so again. (DC 22 will negates)
Grit moves to stand with the party , landing in front of Woki and then shifting into his huge cat form. He considers the new threat, wondering if he has encountered anything like them before.
Gorkhan keeps to the shadows, off to the side within a ruined structure, waiting for the creatures to approach the group.
Woki narrows her eyes at the hulking tall-ones that rise up in aggressive stances. The tiny halfling chants to the spirits for aid as she flashes her pointed teeth at the magera and rattles her spear.
Raun hunkers down as she senses the foes ahead and the others start to ready spells to defend them. She mentally calls out to the champion. <<Keep them off me!>> she says as she advances forward, taking up a defensive position between the two sets of ruins with her earthbreaker ready.
Transforming from bird form to that of a stony-skinned tigone, Grit takes up a position next to Raun forming a defensive line as the spells cast by Woki and Daina settle over the group.
Gorkhan slinks into the shadow of a ruined wall, ready to strike, as Nnn'tkklik'l lashes out mentally, pulling one of the farther creatures into the collective.
Grit recognizes the creatures hiding in the sand as magera, large and dim-witted humanoids known for their violent tempers. These appear more savage than most, with yellowed skulls strung as necklaces and belts made of leather and bone. Throwing off the hide cloaks that had concealed them in the sand, the creatures move to attack.
Several launch steel-tipped javelins at Raun and Grit, but none find their mark.
Others rush in with their jagged steel blades, roaring as they level vicious blows at the half-giant and transformed druid. Raun ducks a sword strike that could have decapitated a mekillot, but Grit is too slow, hemmed in by the ruins around him. Two of the magera slash at him with their brutal weapons, carving deep, bloody gashes across his stone-like hide.
Another of the deformed creatures leaps atop the ruined wall, using its extended reach to slash at Ral, but the tigone leaps aside, keeping itself positioned between Orryn and the attacker.
Big, stupid brutes. No reason. They will burn. Daina raises a glowing hand, holding up a metamagic rod next to it. "Ixen garmth!" A red bead flies out and detonates into fire in their ranks.
Transfer Attack (Su): A 9th level life leech can expend his psionic focus as an immediate action to redirect damage being taken by one member of the collective to another member of the collective. Calculate the damage as if the original target would have taken it. The damage transferred is empathic in nature, so damage reduction or other means to block the damage to the final target are not effective.
Nnn'tkklik'l will take a moment to refocus his mental energies. He will then extend his usual protection to his clutchmates in danger.
Raun who had been unusually even tempered up until the point loses her cool as the creatures level fierce blows against her friends. She bursts into full gory glory as her form shimmers and she hacks and bites at the nearby Magera.
Gorkhan darts out to harry one of the creatures before speeding back to cover.
Grit's limbs glow green as they are coated with acid and he lashes out at the enemy in front of him, power attacking. Meanwhile his tigone steps over to attack the enemy nearest it.
Grits Pet, defending his charge 5' steps and full hasted attacks the enemy near him.
[dice=
Longstrider
Frostbite
Elemental Template
Bless
Haste
Temp HP= 50
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 digs her fingers into the ground as she whispers to the winds, calling out in halfling for the rain spirits to hasten the all but forgotten seeds of brambles buried deep below the sandy wastes. A deep thrum echos from below as nature...finds a way.
Fire erupts among the magera as Daina utters the final words of her spell. Three are badly burned while a fourth is only scorched.
A terrible wound opens across another on the left flank as Nnn'tkklik'l transfers the damage inflicted on Grit by one of the other attackers to the magera he pulled into the collective. The thri-kreen then bolsters his allies to protect them from further harm.
Advancing in among the burned magera, Raun and Grit make short work of their deformed foes. Gorkhan finishes off the fourth before darting to the shadows north of the intact building. To the south, Grit's tigone bites and slashes at another of the creatures, tearing its throat out after it is knocked unconscious by the enchanted blows.
Seeing her intended targets dead, Woki redirects her magic wall of thorns to surround the magera on the left flank. Both are struck multiple times, but their thick hide protects them somewhat. Even so, the one farthest northwest, the subject of Nnn's transfer wounds, looks pale and near death. Struggling to free itself, it is pierced again and again, finally falling unconscious as its blood trickles into the sand. The other struggles against the barrier but is unable to make any progress.
Oblivious to the swift deaths of its allies, the remaining magera on the right charges Grit, slashing deeply at the transformed druid's tigone form. Nnn'tkklik'l's protection from earlier absorbs the damage, leaving Grit unscathed.
As the cries of the dying magera fade, the door to the ruin swings open and two more come out. One is garbed like the others you've face and circles around toward Raun. The second wears heavier armor made of mismatched metal plates and scraps. That one steps forward, it's arms stretched wide as it directs a vicious cone of ice and freezing wind that blasts everyone in the group but Raun and Gorkhan. Those in the back rank are the worst wounded, although Nnn'tkklik'l's buffer offers some protection. But you see Orryn, left out of the earlier round of [i]vigorp], fall to the ground as jagged chunks of ice slam into her unprotected scalp.
Nnn'tkklik'l has only a second to think as he is battered by the icy spell, and watches the life begin to fade from Orryn's eyes. He transfers the icy damage to Raun, a significant amount even for the half-giantess. He then moves 30ft left into the alleyway for cover. Concentrating through the pain, he manifests vigor once more, wrapping his protection around himself, Orryn, Raun, and Grit.
<<Many wounds. Need wind spirits. Hide, girl.>>
Ignoring the other enemies, huge Tigone Grit now enraged, full attacks the caster using Power Attack. If the caster drops before his attacks are done Grit will also attack the creature on the right.
The large cat tries to pull Orrin into cover to the left.
Longstrider
Frostbite
Elemental Template
Bless
Haste
Temp HP= 0
Rage from Klar-Killer's cloak - 5 rounds.
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 shivers in pain as the icy blast washes over her. The groans of the tall-ones beside her drag her from her own pains as she summons the spirits to fill the area with their life-giving energies, the same energies that help the plants grow after strong rain.
Daina gasps but Nnn protect her. She moves out of range of that same spell and shoots another fireball in their ranks. "Ixen garmth!" A red bead flies out and detonates into fire in their ranks.
Rauns steps up, bellowing her rage as she batters the newly arrived spellcaster for blasting Orryn. She ignores the sense of cold that floods through her, bursting blood vessels and splitting her flesh.