Aza lets out a soft sigh that still manages to ruffle her hair, and moves her hands in a shaking circular motion, before clapping them together - a brief ripple of divine energy spreads from the point of impact, touching her allies with some unknown blessing.
With Vedic, Aza, Pious and Iradyiel all advancing on the lizard, and its lizardfolk handlers disappearing with their campfire into an unnatural pit, the monitor lizard turns and flees, keening with a high-pitched screech as it goes. It sprints away with a peculiar tilted gait, legs flailing the ground, off to the east. The party are left alone on the edge of the tar pits, unchallenged.
After a moment the pit reverses, dumping the charred corpses of the three dead lizardfolk sentries back on the rocks of the clearing, intermixed with the smoking coals of the campfire.
Aza coughs heavily as the smell of charred lizard reaches her nose, but she pushes forward to crouch and examine the corpses, looking for anything that may have survived the deadly spell and flame. "W-we may want to be careful from h-here... if there are more around here, we won't be able to surprise them as easily." I suppose it's for the best. They probably won't be willing to talk after this, which means I won't put the others in danger for wanting to parley.
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"Well, that was impressive," Chest Thumper comments as he comes out of hiding and approaches the corpses of the slain Lizardfolk.
Francis looks confused and a little disappointed that he did not get to fight.
The Half-Orc examines their fallen foes for any clues.
"These guys were starving. Or at least close. And these are weird," he points out the curved triangular sigil branded into each of their chests.
"They're definitely not the warriors that we've faced before."
Pious bends over the corpses with CTrumaging through their accoutrements roughly.
"mourn not for your foe, the wolf does not weep for the deer."
Kneeling once more besides a corpse pious bends and roughly cuts the branded flesh free before stuffing in a pouch.
As another sickly dinosaur bellow echoes across the tar pits, the noise emanating from the north, the party examine the dead lizardfolk and the bone bridge.
"They're definitely not the warriors that we've faced before."
They appear to be of the same breed of lizardfolk, but their physical condition is far worse, and their equipment appears more makeshift and less well-maintained. There is no clue as to the meaning of the brands on their foreheads. They carry rough wooden javelins and bone clubs, scraps of leather as clothing and belts, and little else. As Aza looks on, Pious uncovers a patched leather sack badly damaged by the fire. Inside are some herbal ointments: four preparations of cure light wounds, a smear of neutralize poison, and a jar of defoliant polish.
Over by the bridge Iradyiel surveys the far side of the trench of hot, bubbling tar – alternately dry and heavily crusted, and steaming and runny. Two things catch his attention. Firstly, there are sounds of melee combat to the north: sounds of exertion and a weapon being swung, mixed with more saurus bellowing. Secondly, he notes a series of tripwires linking the rickety bone-construction bridge to a pile of dino bones to the north – a trap!
"Well, that was impressive," Chest Thumper comments as he comes out of hiding and approaches the corpses of the slain Lizardfolk.
"Thank you. That spell is a particular favorite," Vedic smiled.
As the others went about their investigation, he kept watch over the bridge and sent his familiar to scout the other side.
Pious waits to see what Array discovers, he has a grudging respect growing for Vedic. The sounds of battle clearly have him riled though, his sword remains drawn and he is clearly eager to move.
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Chest Thumper already had his axe out in preparation of fighting the lizardfolk. They'd been vanquished so fast, it had not occurred to him that he didn't need it, yet.
The sounds of battle cause him to keep it out and he taps the haft in his palm anxiously as he looks toward the noises. Francis seems as eager to get to the conflict, still obviously a little disappointed he didn't get to shred the lizardfolk.
The half-orc has to hold the ape back to keep him from barrelling across the bridge.
"Can anyone deal with the trap? I don't know anything about these things and would just trip it if I tried to get rid of it," he says.
Aza puts a blackened hand to her chin, considering for a moment. "If th-the trap does not collapse the bridge, perhaps we could set it off from afar." She looks at Iradyiel - "Do y-you know what it does? I could perhaps..." she fishes a hook and a roll of twine from her pack, "Hook this onto the line, and then walk a safe distance away before s-setting it off. But if it were to affect the bridge that might make it more dangerous..."
Once it was pointed out to him, Vedic's brows raised. "Good eye." He would not have thought to look for it.
He considered the set up, trying to figure out if the trap would damage the bridge or not.
Array zips across the tar trench to scout the other side. It returns after 5 minutes, to report to its master (in its rudimentary way) of two lizards fighting on the other side, to the north, one of which is very large indeed.
Meanwhile Vedic examines the bridge itself. The tripwires linking the rickety bone-construction bridge to the nearby bone pile don’t appear to have the strength to collapse the bridge, and the supports at both this end and the far end appear robust enough. The bridge requires care to cross, but appears stable and well-constructed.
I could perhaps hook this onto the line, and then walk a safe distance away before s-setting it off."[/b]
That would require a disable device check...
Could a certain little flying rock just shoot the trip line?
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"We are ready to face the galloping hordes,
A hundred heathens with swords and yet a string gives us pause. For shame. Move ever forward unto me."
Pious crosses the bridge and does his best to avoid the tripwires on the other side.
To the open-mouth astonishment of those debating how best to disarm the trap, Pious shoulders past and attempts to cross the bridge avoiding the tripwires.
Indeed he does avoid them, although as the bridge takes his weight each of them in turn tenses then snaps. It is only when reaching the middle 10' section of the bridge that this evokes a reaction; those looking on stifle a gasp of horror (but not surprise) as a hail of tiny bone projectiles detonates from within the bone stack to pepper the bold inquisitor.
Amidst a cloud of projectiles, three of the bone darts strike home. Pious bleeds from several places, but worse, feels a spreading weakness coursing through his veins; the darts were poisoned!
Pious staggers as the darts hit home and seems likely to fall off the bridge as he crosses the last few feet. Somehow he manages to stay on his feet.
"The thousand cuts that bring a man to his knees do naught but allow him to stand the taller"
Despite his eternal fervour, his gritted teeth and swaying gate put the lie to his words.
Carefully, gingerly, the group cross the swaying bone rope-bridge in Pious’ wake. As they do, no further darts issue from the bone heap – the trap has been exhausted by the single volley that peppered the Inquisitor.
Regrouping they edge cautiously northward towards the sounds of fighting, which have diminished momentarily. Emerging from behind a large mound of saurus leg bones, they are confronted by a strange sight. An enormous dinosaur stands before them, facing a solitary lizardfolk warrior further beyond it. They have clearly
The beast is a powerful, squat animal larger than any you have ever faced before – it stands approximately 30 feet long and must weigh in excess of 6,000 pounds. It is pawing the ground with its heavy forelegs and snorting heavily though its nostrils at the lizardfolk warrior; its heavily armoured back, studded with thick bony plates and spikes, are already scored with several heavy wounds plus a handful of bone javelins. It wields a massive club tail which is flicking from left to right with palpable aggression.
Facing the dinosaur is a tall and powerful female lizardfolk, clad in armour constructed from saurus armour plates on a thick hide base. She wields a vicious bone pick and is breathing heavily; she appears to have already taken several wounds from the beast.
Catching sight of the party, the lizard bellows across the field of comabt, in common: ”Stay back, humans! Stay back! This great beast is my honourable death! Do not make me regret speaking on behalf of your wretched people!”. With this, she launches herself forward to renew her attack on the dinosaur. As she charges into contact, she ducks a ferocious tail-flick from the animal, leaping over the tail as it swings and landing a deep raking wound in the creature's side with the pick. With a shrug of its armoured flanks she has to dodge sideways, and fails to anticipate a bone-shattering return-sweep from the tail. Caught unawares she is sent sprawling to the ground 10 feet from the impact, bloodied and badly wounded.
This animal is a foe beyond any you have yet faced. And yet this lizardfolk warrior is seeking to take it on single-handed.
Dino 12
A 28 owch!
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Francis lets out a long, low hoot as Pious marches determinedly across the bridge and is peppered with poisoned points.
"I know. Me too," Chest Thumper replies.
Neither of them are particularly eager to try the bridge but when it is evident that it is now safe, they rush across with the rest to find out what is going on on the other side.
"I can help you tomorrow," Chest Thumper tells Pious as they are moving along. "I will have to ask the powers of the world to provide me a different kind of healing."
Both half-orc and ape draw up short as they see the spectacle that is causing that noise. Neither of them are particularly keen to tangle with the dinosaur.
"The poor thing is sick. No wonder it's so aggressive," Chest Thumper says. "Let me see if I can calm it down."
He approaches slowly and carefully, trying to calm the creature down and convey that he and his companions are no threat to it.
Aza winces heavily as Pious simply walks through the threat they were attempting to avoid - but it seemed as though he was willing to push on. A driven man, indeed. She moves forward to examine him, but it seemed that it was beyond her wands' healing abilities to fix, and with Chest Thumper's assurance that he could tend to the inquisitor, Aza moves forward with the group.
As they moved towards the source of the sounds of conflict, Aza was shocked at the scene - what was the lizardfolk doing? Biting at her blackened thumb out of nervousness, she moves a few inches closer to the fight to get a better look at the situation.
"I don't kn-now if the creature will calm down if we don't stop that l-lizard from antagonizing it..." mutters Aza. She quickly raises her voice into a shout that she hopes the warrior would hear - "Wait!! The creature is sick and dying, th-there's no need to... This is not an honorable thing! This is not a noble f-fight! It is already sick," If the lizardfolk wished to die, that added a much different color to their previous encounter... She moves forward, looking for an opening to do something to stop this fight.
Vedic could only sigh as Pious decided to use himself as trap-fodder.
"I'm afraid my flaming hole of death isn't quite big enough for that creature, Iradyiel." he said. As far as he was concerned the diseased dinosaur and the crazed lizard-lady were free to kill each other. The others seemed insistent on getting involved though, so he stood next to Aza and waited to see what would happen.
Confronted with such an astounding sight, the Papaya Knights watch as the battle progresses. Chest Thumper makes a vain attempt to calm the beast but his soothing calls are lost against its aggressive bellows of pain and anger. The lizardfolk warrior stands with some effort, and hearing Aza’s impassioned shout she calls back: ”Your compassion does you credit but you have misread this. I have been cast out of my tribe and am already shamed; I am an outcast and only my honourable death can atone for my shame!”.
She raises her pick once more against the dino, and readies an overhead blow as it paws the ground then with a thunderous noise makes a headlong charge at her. It proves ineffective - the bone weapon merely rebounds off the armoured hide of the beast as it cannons her up and 15' backwards through the air to stagger heavily amidst a bone pile.
The dino turns at the end of its charge, its mace-like tail raised to pummel its enemy, and catches its first sight of the party. Frothing at the mouth, it looks at them through tiny eyes clouded with maddening pain and blind aggression.
Dino 12
A 28 owch!
Done
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It does not take Chest Thumper long to realize that he does not have the time to calm the dinosaur before it pounds the lizardfolk to putty or that he will have the skills to do it.
He winces at the suffering of the creature. Francis is clearly also disturbed by what he can see, no doubt even more empathetic due to his own recent encounter with parasites.
The ape hoots lowly and looks to his brother. Chest Thumper nods.
"That animal is suffering. We need to put it out of it's misery, one way or another. If we can subdue it, we might be able to help it but it's not going to go easily. And, though it won't win us any good will with her, we need information from the lizardfolk. Our path is clear."
He rests his hand on Francis' shoulder and once more calls upon nature to enhance the ape's natural durability. The now familiar thickening of his fur and skin occurs before he snarls and roars and rushes at the dino, ready for the impact of that tail as he gets within it's reach and then close enough for him to get to grips with the beast.
Chest Thumper follows as close behind as he can, knowing that the creature will be able to deal massive amounts of damage and Francis will need his healing magic, soon.
Pious senses a soul in search of answers.
"I have heard the words of God and he does not shy from the proud and the true. Be'est thou true to thine heart, for there lies the kingdom of the Lord. And so I call to you, hear my words, is your life worth so little to you that you would cast it assure for the hurt feelings of others? Nay! Let us slay this beast together and toast to life with its blood!"
Pious assumes his words have been heard and agreed with, the idea that anyone could deny the truth of his Lord still anathema to him. lightning once again coruscates around his blade as he approaches the beast.
Aza nods with some sadness at the sudden engagement on the diseased creature, but it was true. She had no spells strong enough to cure the beast, and nothing that could keep it from assaulting them. But she could still help the lizardfolk woman, and stop her from committing... stop her from perishing. "I will s-stabilize the woman," she mutters to the rest of the party. "Be careful." With a light step, she began to hustle forward, suddenly disappearing from sight, her form vanishing into wisps of fog.
round 3:
Achahut (Lizardfolk): move action to stand and draw weapon, throws javelin
>>>Iradyiel: ???
>>>Vedic: ???
Aza: Vanishes, moves forward.
Dino: pending
Pious: casts true strike, moves up?? please specify square
CT: Casts barkskin, moves up?? please specify square
Francis: delays until CT casts Barkskin, then will double move into contact.
The lizardfolk warrior regains her feet, and lobs a javelin at the dino, trying to re-attract its attention:"Fools - this is my death, not yours! I must regain my honour!" she cries. The missile bounces off harmlessly, and the dino doesn't even notice: it is now focusing myopically on the party...
Dino 12
Achahut 28
Vedic cringed and rolled his eyes. He momentarily considered not taking any action, but that thing looked like it could casually kill any of his new friends. He wanted them to be less reckless, but he didn't want them to die before they learned. The first priority was to mitigate the thing's ability to attack.
The party enter the melee against the dinosaur. Iradyiel surges forward and fires his bow at the beast from beyond a bone stack, and Vedic deftly tosses a tanglefoot bag in its path. Neither has any visible effect; in reply the animal roars with anger and lurches towards the two with murder in mind. It crosses the distance between them with surprising speed, and brings its huge bone tail flailing down in a deadly sweep upon Vedic. It crushes through his magical defences, down into the thin elf's fragile frame, pounding him into the ground into a bloody mess.
At this, more fighters enter the fray. Pious and CT move up, and Francis charges at the dinosaur, clawing ineffectively against its thick hide. Behind the dino the female lizardfolk charges once again into the fight, screaming loudly: ”I am Achahut! This is my death and glory!” With the beast's attention elsewhere, she drives her heavy pick deep into the dino's spine with a mighty blow. Amidst this melee of closing foes, the dino’s tail swings out with enormous reach against Francis. This blow is less effective and merely glances against the ape's hardened sides
Round 3:
Achahut (Lizardfolk): move action to stand and draw weapon, throws javelin (failed to penetrate AC)
Iradyiel: moves up, fires bow (failed to penetrate AC)
Aza: Vanishes, moves forward.
Vedic: moves up, throws tanglefoot bag (no effect on huge creature)
Dino: moves up, hammer time!
Pious: casts true strike, moves
CT: Casts barkskin, moves up
Francis: receives Barkskin, charge w. claw (failed to penetrate AC). AOO misses.
Round 4:
Achahut (Lizardfolk): charge, hits with heavy pick - unconfirmed crit...
>> Iradyiel: ???
>> Aza: ???
>> Vedic: I'll be needing a CON save to stabilise...
> Dino 19
> Achahut 28
Vedic continues to bleed out, having needed a DC14 after adjustments to stabilise. Now at -5. Iradyiel swings but also fails to break past the beast's armour plates.
Aza to act, then the Dino again!
In the middle of rushing over to assist the lizardfolk, Aza catches Vedic's fall out of the corner of her eye - panicking, she slides to a halt, her eyes darting between the members of her party in the deadly melee. She couldn't choose... but she had to act. Yanking her nearly spent wand of healing from beneath her robes, she brandished it and invisibly dashes back to Vedic, giving him a small poke and hopefully clearing his wounds.
Roaring in confusion, the huge animal once again swings its tail in a terrifying swing through the party. Everyone from Iradyiel through to Francis, even the lizardfolk warrior, flinches desperately as the tail whips up and past them in a terrifying assault - only to miss wildly, impacting an empty patch of dirt between Francis, CT and Vedic. A lucky miss for everyone, it would seem - were it not for a high-pitched scream from Aza as the blow strikes, followed by an ominous silence...
Round 4:
Achahut (Lizardfolk): charge, hits with heavy pick - unconfirmed crit...
Iradyiel: swings and hits without effect
Vedic: bleeding out...
Aza: moves, heals Vedic
Dino: pounds thin air - or does it?
>>>Pious: ???
>>>CT: ???
>>>Francis: ???
Round 5:
>>>Achahut (Lizardfolk): ???
>>>Iradyiel: ???
>>>Vedic: ???
>>>Aza: ???
> Dino 19
> Achahut 28
Aza's invisible shriek of pain echoes through the air as she feels something (or many things) crack under the pressure of the tail, coughing briefly for a moment before almost collapsing to the ground, using every ounce of her willpower to keep herself just upright.
Pious bundles into fray, and brings his sword down on the creature Even as he does so the wounds he received from the dart begin to close.