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Lauriel tells you that ursikkas can spit a line of freezing and sticky saliva up to a range of 60ft. They are hearty (high fort) but have relatively weaker will-power (will low). They can coat their claws with their sticky freezing saliva and carry it with their bites, which makes it easy for them to grab their targets in melee and freeze and grapple them at the same time.
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Lauriel directs Nevra to swoop down and pick up the adlet, then turn around and fly in the opposite direction.
"Hang on, we're gonna rescue you!" Lauriel calls out to the adlet as Nevra swoops down, grabs
As they execute this maneuver, and assuming the adlet allows Nevra to grab her, Exiel calls out to 42, "pull out! We don't need to fight those things! Everyone climb to 80ft or higher, and we should be safe from those things!"
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Seeing their prey snatched up into the air and unable to keep pace with the highly-mobile dragonkin, the ursikka chitter in frustration and burrow beneath the ground, hoping to catch less elusive prey at a later date.
You fly a safe distance away before Nevra sets the adlet down on the ground once more. The adlet seems very excited by your alien appearance and begins speaking rapidly almost immediately.
Through Lauriel's translation, you learn that her name is Baknarla, a shaman of the adlets. She thanks you for your aid and hails you as "the destined ones." She claims that "the stars have spoken" about the coming of ones from beyond the sky who will give her people back their lands. She goes on to explain that the adlets inhabit the frozen wastes near the Vahara Glacier, but the tyrannical dragon warlord Yrax has harshly oppressed the adlet people and driven them out of their traditional tribal grounds. Baknarla believes that you, as aliens to Triaxus, are destined to defeat Yrax, allowing the adlets to reclaim their ancestral domain.
Unfortunately, most of the other shamans in Baknarla's tribe did not
share her beliefs, and her tribe has shunned her, forcing her to seek "the destined ones" on her own. Believing she has finally found them (that is, YOU), Baknarla is all the more excited when Lauriel tells her that you were already on your way to fight Yrax. She tells you that she has a plan that can both help you defeat Yrax. One of her people's most holy sites is a place called the Rimekeening Crevasse, located in lands that the dragon has driven the adlets from and forbidden them from returning. Although it is taboo for outsiders to set foot in the crevasse, Baknarla is willing to guide you there if you are willing to help her find the last resting place of a legendary adlet hero named Sarnok. Sarnok was a mighty warrior-shaman who lived long ago and slew more than one dragon with his magic spear. He was also renowned for his wisdom, bringing about peace treaties between the adlet tribes and several Drakelands realms. The old tales say that one day Sarnok set out to explore the depths of the Rimekeening Crevasse and was never seen again, but that he will return some day to guide his people to glory once more.
If you are able to locate Sarnok's grave, the adlet hopes to find a holy relic of the hero that she can bring back to her people to restore their hope and her own position in the tribe. At the same time, Baknarla believes that you will find Samok's legendary spear there, which the you can use to slay Yrax. Finally, Baknarla believes there is a hidden way from the crevasse into Ivoryglass. Once the PCs have the spear, they can then approach Ivoryglass through the crevasse, thereby avoiding the soldiers that patrol the glacier surrounding the palace.
The adlet looks at you with hope and expectancy as Lauriel translates all of that information to you, and awaits your reply.
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With Exiel and Alden agreeing to help, Baknarla leads your group to the place called the Rimekeening Crevasse.
The Crevasse is a large fracture that cuts deeply into the Vahara Glacier, and Baknarla tells you that the citadel Ivoryglass lies on the other side. She guides you to the edge of the vast fracture, which stretches off into the distance in both directions. The rift is about 500 feet wide at this point, but it narrows sharply as it descends into the glacier. Freezing winds whistle through the crevasse, producing an eerie wailing that at times seems to sound like the lonely cry of a grieving woman. The crevasse drop is almost 200 feet below the surface of the glacier, but the dragonkin have no trouble flying down. The bottom of the crevasse is narrow and cluttered with sharp rocks and jumbled, snow-covered boulders. Several hundred feet along the crevasse is the jagged maw of an ice cave in the cliff wall.
Baknarla notices an ancient pictogram carved above the cave entrance, which she identifies as the personal sigil of Sarnok and a sign that he went this way. Inside the cave, the sound of the howling wind quickly dies down. The roughly circular passage is just over 50 feet in diameter. It slopes downward at a steep angle to the west, and all surfaces inside the cave are rimed with icy frost, making the terrain slippery.
About 200 feet down the tunnel, a large, cracked recess opens in the southern wall, about 20 feet above the floor of the main passage.
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The creature looks straight at Nevra as she breathes lightning at it, and simply opens its mouth and swallows the lightning! Nevra mutters something in Triaxian, but you can all distinctly hear that her sentence begins with "blech".
Exiel tries to have Nevra fly beyond the 35ft ceiling, but finds she is unable to go quite that far. Nevra can only hover 25ft above ground, without squashing Exiel flat.
The creatures hiss and chitter as the spines on their back glow and spark with electricity. The lightning flows down their backs and gathers at their horns, which glow ominously as they cast harsh shadows against the walls of the cave passage.
One of them presses its legs to its side, slithers down to 42 and breathes a line of lightning over 42, Talsune, Bescaylie and Efrixes (narrowly missing Alden). The other swarms down beside and lines up 42, Talsune, Exiel and Nevra, and then breathes a line of lightning that nails the 4 of them. Nevra is unfazed by the lightning, but the rest of you are engulfed in the white sparks and surging energy as the smell of ozone fills the air.
Round 1:
Exiel
baddies
-----------------------------
42
Alden
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Caught off guard for the first attack, 42 and the dragonkin take full damage from the lightning but are charged up and able to avoid the next one. Unhappy at the swarm that attacked. The Dragonkin moves back and fires it's cone of cold at the swarm just as 42 lets loose his own dragon breath and a cone of acid shoots from 42's mouth, as a cone of cold shoots from the dragons.
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42 and Talsune unleash a dual-breath of acid over the lightning-breathing snake-lizards.
B1
B2
Despite their immense sizes, the creatures are remarkably quick. they manage to dodge the worst of the breaths, though their scales are still alot less lustrious from the acidic assault.
Round 1:
Exiel
baddies
42
----------------------------- resolved
Alden
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=> 17 damage
=> 34 damage
Efrixes is able to move a bit out of the way of the lightning, but Beyscalie takes the full brunt.
Beyscalie directs Efrixes to move toward the creatures and breathe fire at them.
Beyscalie himself fires off an arrow at the one to the right on the map.
Alden shouts out commands to all his allies, giving everyone the benefit of the Escape Route feat.
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Efrixes' fiery breath washes over the creatures. One of them is able to twist a little out of the way, while the other takes the full force of the fiery breath. Bescaylie also attempts to shoot at one of the creatures, but the arrow bounces off the tough scale harmlessly.
Moments later, Exiel and Nevra join the action...or rather, Exiel wants Nevra to join the action, but she can't since she is holding carrying Naala instead of her weapon. Instead, she passes Naala over to Baknarla on her back and tells the adlet to hold on to the wolf. She then draws her glaive, ready to attack next round.
Exiel flies in to draw some of their attacks. One of the creatures tries to take a bite out of the aasimar gargoyle.
It snaps at the air while Exiel flies around its jaws and slashes one of the creature's arms.
With their lightning breath spent, they resort to physical attacks. Despite their sinuous profile, they are remarkably fast, and are able to rear up from the ground to snap at even the airborne dragonkin due to the low ceiling of the cave.
Exiel's opponent continues to snap at air while the other creature snaps at Efrixes, almost chomping down on the dragonkin's leg. Fortunately for Efrixes, however, Alden is acting as his bodyguard. The helpful halfling gets his lance in the way of the bite, dealing no damage, but creating enough of a diversion for Efrixes to get out of the way. Efrixes is unable to thank Alden verbally, but gives the halfling an appreciative nod.
Round 2:
Exiel
baddies
----------------------------- resolved
42
Alden
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Lauriel guesses from the lightning breath, serpentine body and many legs that these things are behirs, although they seem exceptionally tough for behirs and she does not remember behirs being resistant or immune to cold. She tells you to be careful of their bites, because one you are bitten, they will quickly coil around you and constrict you and rake you with their many legs. She is unable to provide more information apart from this.
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42 casts a spell to speed up the actions of Exiel and Talsune. Talsune attacks the behir before him furiously, but only manages to hit the behir once. Exiel also attacks the same behir furiously, and 2 of his strikes hit...but his second strike bites deep into the behir (crit confirmed) and the behir rears up in pain just in time to see Nevra's glaive drive into its eye socket and come out through the back (crit confirmed, very dead).
At the same time, Bescaylie and Efrixes tag-team the other behir. Bescaylie stabs the behir once but misses her second attack. Efrixes also hits on his first strike but misses his follow-up as the behir weaves its body out of the way of the stab... and leaves its neck exposed to Efrixes' jaws. Not to let such an opportunity pass, Efrixes bites down hard, and the blue-white scales on the behir's neck are dyed a deep red with its own blood.
The behir hisses furiously as its mate is callously killed, and though it is also wounded, it is determined to fight to the end. With several targets to choose from, it goes for... Alden.
The behir just barely manages to snag Alden with its teeth, but it is enough. With frightening speed, it pulls Alden from Efrixes' back and wraps itself around Alden, its claws poised to rake the hapless halfling to ribbons!
Round 3:
Exiel
baddies
----------------------------- resolved
42
Alden
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42 casts Chill Touch and has his dragon move forward to attack.
The dragon attacks with his sword while 42 full attacks.
+
+
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42, Talsune and Exiel charge at the behir and start hacking off its arms in a devastating frenzy. The behir keens in pain, then distends its jaws as if determined to swallow Alden whole before it breathes its last...only for Nevra to swoop in once more and drive her glaive through the behir's open mouth and out the back of its skull.
Talsune looks in amazement and mutters something under his breath. Lauriel translates that Talsune has decided he will never talk smack about Nevra being "just a pretty face" ever again.
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Nevra hands Exiel a wand to use on Bescaylie and the dragonkin, though it appears that that was all the healing they were able to bring from their stores. If it runs out, they may need to look to you guys to provide further healing.
As you proceed down the tunnel, it gradually widens, then branches into two narrower passages, on leading roughly Northwards and the other to the South-West.
As you reach the intersection, you see that the branch to the south leads to a wide cavern glistening with sparkling crystals and mineral deposits. As you look, however, you begin to feel a little strange... Your teeth begin to chatter, but not from feeling cold. You realise that something is setting up vibrations within you.
Efrixes, Talsune, Baknarla and Exiel manage to steel themselves against the vibrations, but the rest of the group succumbs and are stunned for 1 round (and need to save each round till they pass a save).
Initiatives
Round 1:
Alden
42
Exiel
???????????????
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Lauriel also succumbs to the vibrations. Exiel spots the clump of moving crystal and points it out to Efrixes and Talsune.
"Over there! Something's off with that clump of crystals."
He flies towards the crystals to take a closer look, hoping he will be able to make something out that will stop the vibrations.
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Talsune swoops in on the crystal that Exiel points to and douses it with acid. To your amazement, it tries to dodge out of the way! It moves well for a crystal.... but then crystals do not usually move at all so that doesn't say much. It takes the full brunt of the acid. You cannot tell if it feels pain from the acid. Because it is still a crystal. But is is now a slightly less shiny crystal.
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Efrixes tries to pounce at the crystal, but discovers that he is not a cat and cannot pounce like one. He settles for stabbing the crystal once and hits, but notes with some dissatisfaction that it is remarkably hard and resistant to damage.
Moving with remarkable speed for a crystal, it surges along the wall towards Efrixes. Efrixes manages to get another stab at it as it moves closer .
The crystal smashes into Efrixes with surprising strength and power, puncturing and lacerating with its viciously sharp crystalline structure. Efrixes roars in agony as he is dealt quite possibly the most painful and devastating blow of his life!
Round 1:
Alden
42
Exiel
???????????????