Raen's invisibility spell unravels as she tries to cloud their eyes with glitter!
"Rift drake! A fighter," Raen calls in belated warning. A barrage of magical fire attempts to do in the bear, and the several Varisian emerges from her glamer.
Shouting at Whistle Pig, "Fire? Ye've mixed me with Raen. But it's a good idea!"
Raen's spell carries enough might to put the cave bear out of its misery, but Hamilton has drawn the attention of a much scarier problem...
Round 1:
Drake: Swoop
Doxon: Crit!
Ushyle: Hit
Whistle Pig: Hit
Raen: MM
Hamilton: Oh hell no!
Vael: Go
Drake: 15
Ham bellows a challenge. AJ rolls her eyes at him.
Vael moves toward the drake and raises a hand toward it. He stretches his fingers, chanting as an iridescent spray of colour bursts forth!
Vael goes for broke engaging directly: , but the spell has no effect on the mighty drake!
The dragon confidently flies back to land on a boulder, opening itself up to Hamilton. Once there it spits a ball of caustic gas that bursts into a cloud upon impact! Applejack, Hamilton, Vael, Doxon and Ushyle are caught within the cloud! Each take Acid damage and you are Slowed for
Round 2:
Drake: Swoop
Doxon: Go
Ushyle:Go
Whistle Pig:Go
Raen:Go
Hamilton:Go
Vael: Go
Drake: 15
The drake's gout of acid, though it does not touch her, steals Raen's breath away. She replies with the most powerful magic she has and spreads her gestalt presence away from the others.
Fire, DC 19 Reflex for half
Ushyle turns into the full force of the blast, the corrosive substance dripping all over and making his bones ache and his reactions slow.
He cannot move with his usual alacrity, and tries to shake the lethargy from him as he moves toward the dragon.
Both Tulia and Vael take the worst of the acidic gas. The effect is made worse when his life energy flows to Hamilton, Doxon, and Ushyle.
Hacking and coughing, he grabs hold of his holy symbol and calls upon the spirits of Life. A burst of positive healing energy flows over everyone within twenty feet.
Whistle Pig's stones fail to harm the drake, while Ushyle slowly moves out of the way.
Raen's fireball explodes on impact , and the drake avoids the worst of it.
Vael's soothing magic is sorely needed, and he delivers at the perfect time.
Round 2:
Drake: Swoop
Doxon: Go
Ushyle: Move
Whistle Pig: Miss
Raen: Boom
Hamilton: Go + AoO
Vael: Heal
Breath: Round 7
Drake: 25
Seeing the drake rear back just before it breathes, Doxon drops and rolls away from the brunt of the corrosive blast.
Doxon plants his feet and with a mighty roar, charges the drake.
for
Doxon charges in, braving the drake's blade-like teeth: and the drake grabs Doxon by the neck!!! and
Thankfully Doxon scores a solid hit on the way in, though it may cost him his life.
Round 2:
Drake: Swoop
Doxon: Hit
Ushyle: Move
Whistle Pig: Miss
Raen: Boom
Hamilton: Go + AoO
Vael: Heal
Breath: Round 7
Drake: 42
Hamilton Reflex Save:
Applejack Reflex Save:
Before those saves happen though, is the AoO:
Damage on Hit:
Applejacks AoO:
Both AJ and Hamilton take the caustic gas full on. Applejack collapses, leaving Ham staggered and staring up at the angry drake. He smoulders a bit. No longer able to wield the lance, it falls out of Ham's hand. Ham activates the power of his armor and grows to enormous size.
AJ's stabilization Roll:
As Of Vael's action, AJ SLOWLY stands up and moves out of her master's squares.
Applejack goes down underneath Hamilton, but the ranger manages to stab the drake as it jumps to the boulder.
Hamilton grows in size, drawing the attention of the now enraged dragon! The drake gnashes its teeth at Hamilton! for and
In order to finish doxon off it swings with it's muscular tail. for and knocks him over!
Round 3:
Drake: ATK
Doxon: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Vael: Go
Breath: Round 7
Drake: 50
As it's jaws clamp down on Doxon, he releases his protective skin. While the bite is still severe, the metallic skin is able to turn aside the worst of it before dissipating.
Vael grits his teeth as positive energy continues to leave him.
"If you've got a trick to end the beast, now would be a good time!" Vael says, muttering a chant that closes some of his wounds.
With a glance at Ushyle, he relinquishes the link to the half-orc.
Vael works feverishly to keep everyone alive while Whistle Pig hurls a trio of sling stones. Two hit and clearly hurt the dragon!
Round 3:
Drake: ATK
Doxon: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Hit
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Vael: Battlefield healing.
Breath: Round 7
Drake: 77
Assuming Haste, as per Slack...
Ham blinks and shakes off the acid cloud. He attacks with repeated ferocious strikes.
Hasted Scimitar +1:, Damage on hit:
Hasted Scimitar +1:, Damage on hit:
Hasted Scimitar +1:, Damage on hit:
Hamilton slashes and also connects twice.
In the blink of an eye the battlefield changes. At this moment there is hope.
Round 3:
Drake: ATK
Raen: Haste
Doxon: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Hit
Hamilton: Hit
Vael: Battlefield healing.
Breath: Round 7
Drake: 77 + Fixed hits from Hamilton
And like that... the dragon's rage turns to panic. It looks to the sky, preferring defeat and an empty stomach to death.
Round 3:
Drake: ATK
Raen: Haste
Doxon: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Hit
Hamilton: Hit
Vael: Battlefield healing.
Breath: Round 7
Drake: 98
Ushyle feels the numbness from the acid fade as he moves toward the dragon, then feels the familiar surge of speed from Raen's haste spell. Having already caught the movements of the dragon previously, he doesn't need to study it again. The half-orc moves in, braving the sure-to-come attack from leaving himself vulnerable, and declares the rift drake to be the bane of Milani!
Feeling Raen's magic further infuse his being with alacrity, Doxon does not allow the drake's attacks to go unanswered.
Doxon, Whistle Pig, and Ushyle gang up and bring the dragon down before it can either escape or destroy the party.
While less than a minute, the fight seems like it lasted a life time!
The party doesn't ahve to look long to find the creature's lair.
Inside a cave there's a place to sleep (if one doesn't mind the stench), as well as items the drake has collected:
31 pp, 270 gp, 100 sp, 800 cp
Onyx (60 gp)
Marble idol of a Frost Giant (300 gp)
Porcelain mask (40 gp)
Silver candelabra with holy symbol of Torag (75 gp)
Silver flagon with religious markings Torag (80 gp)
Silver mask (75 gp)
Masterwork Light Crossbow (335 gp)
Potion of Cloak of Shade
Scroll of Purify Food and Drink
Ushyle, breathing heavily, rushes over to Doxon to make sure the dwarf is still okay. A gruff I'm fine, lad! greets him, which takes the half-orc aback; but then Dox gives a genuine smile and nods. No apology needed, just the stress of the moment taking over for a heartbeat.
After Vael's ministrations, Ushyle sets about the task of finding the drake's lair — and possibly the ettin and bear's too.
Raen spends the evening trying out some new tricks, making a few new realizations about the nature of magic-weaving, and trying to avoid the smell.
It's late at night when Vael excuses himself. He walks off a good distance away from the camp, he mumbles a brief chant and floats up into the sky.
"Really, in the air? Why?" the familiar asks, perched on his shoulder.
"It's more comfortable. Tha pull be less distractin'," Vael says, sitting cross-legged a hundred feet in the air.
Tulia chirps. If birds could sound scornful, this would be their sound. Instead of chastising him, she begins giving him instructions. "Amplifying what the spirits offer is an act of sacrifice. So to do this you will..."
The two return a half hour later. Vael climbs into his bedroll and, moments later, is snoring contentedly.
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WP gives a quick note of excitement and the dragon/flying lizard falls. After making sure everyone have recovered from the attack, Pig takes a look at what is left of the body of the Drake. Whistle strikes up a tune as takes out his dagger and carefully removes some of the nicest scales from the body and the largest claw or horn on the corpse. As he works, it comes to mind how long it's been since he whistled just for the joy of whistling. It felt good. He wraps up his treasures in a cloth and smiles, Some of these will make a great reminder of this battle. Does anyone want one of their own?"
After such a monumental victory, the party takes a much needed rest, and feels stronger than ever come the morning light. It's a quite day, a stark difference from the extreme violence of yesterday.
In the late afternoon you spill out into a large field, large enough to house a small city. It appears that to the East you have a pair of tributaries that you could follow. To the Southwest the main river continues.
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WP wakes early and collects a few odds and ends for breakfast. He is silent when he exits the cave, but when he returns he quietly whistles a local Trunau tune as he cleans the two small game birds that weren't quite as awake as Pig was this morning. With breakfast made, WP settles down near the mouth of the cave to work on the trophies from yesterday. He works slowly as to not break the prize. All the while whistling some unknown tune to no one in particular. The scale of the rift drake finds a home next to the wyvern scale. He places the horn back in his pack. He might find another use for that later. Satisfied, he packs everything up to leave.
We're after giants there must be a trail somewhere.
Survival:
Unfortunately Hamilton.... there are giants in every direction.
Raen proposes striking northeast, following one of the smaller tributaries. She reasons that, if an army is gathering in this valley, it would be best to destroy it piecemeal, and the main camp is likely along the main river. Northeast first.
"I think priority needs ta be any captives. Do we see any human tracks among tha giants? If so, we shou' go that way," Vael says, crouching down to look over tracks as well.
The party strikes Northeast. It's a relatively quiet day, and there's little chatter to go with it.
Numerous giant-sized footprints scar the earth around the remains of a large campfire, which lie nestled between an outcropping of large boulders.
You detect heat rising from the ashes of the campfire, suggesting it was only recently abandoned perhaps as early as this morning. You stir up the smoldering coals and discover the cracked, blackened bones of a human sized skeleton. You also uncover an intact human skull and jaw. The tracks from here continue east.
Vael curses and spurs his horse on. "Quickly now."
East then! Justice for The Fallen!!! Hiya!
The party makes haste, pushing through the night, it's a rough ride
When they catch up to the giants, it's a bit more than expected....
The party hastens the day catching up to a thin plume of smoke around dinner time. Most of the party makes a quick dismount and approaches.
The scene isn't good. You don't hear human voices, but you hear at least a trio of trolls. They seem to be lead by a giantess whose voice is so low that it makes your teeth rattle.
Whistle Pig gets only a few yards before the approach is foiled. "THERE'S SOMEONE IN THE CAMP!" a troll shouts.
"Good. I hope they're human, I've got a new favorite food!" answers the giantess.
Round 1:
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go
Ushyle: Go
Raen: Go
Enemy: TBD
Hamilton: TBD
Doxon: TBD