Scratcher seems to be distracted by the amazing birds in the jungle delay.
From behind the tent you see three gray-skinned humanoids coming, dressed in a dress that you would sooner expect in a brothel than in the jungle. They have amazing long tongues and move your way. "Are you coming to join ussss?"
Bluff:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Knowledge Religion DC11 to identify:
These are ghouls! Undead that can paralyze creatures if they manage to wound
Give me the knowledge religion or a sense motive DC10 to see that these are not as friendly as they appear to be. One person making that check will also trigger all your readied attacks.
Initiative
Xasay
Tori
Vagantem
Emmet
Scratcher
- - -
?
|AC 20, T 13, FF 18|HP: 45/45|F +2, R +8, W +4 (+1 vs water/cold, +2 vs shadow, +3 vs poison, +4 vs fear/drain/death/Necr)|Init +2, Perc +4|CMB +6 CMD 18|23/23 Perform, 3/3 Speaker, 3/3 Phantasm, 1/1 comic relief
Knowledge (Religion):1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23
"Not if we can help it - I'm afraid we've already got dinner plans!" Xasay remarks as he lets fly his arrow.
"These are ghouls! Don't let them touch you!" He warns the others.
He then flicks out his stencils, holds one against the sunlight, and from out of nowhere, an eerie-looking bird of prey descends upon the frontmost ghoul!
Conjuring a celestial eagle shadow puppet, which Smites Evil and makes a full attack. A DC 16 Will save will reduce it to 20% reality (for those who make the save).
M Human Snakebite Striker 2/Warpriest 4 HP 54/54 AC: 24 T: 13 FF: 21 F/R/W: +10/+8/+7 Init: +3 Perception: +11 Blessings 5/5
Scracther is about to charge forward until he sees Vagantem hold back. He pauses for a second then joins her in making a front line, protecting the little dark man.
Readed tekko-kagi w/ Combat Expertise:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15 Damage on hit:1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 AC is now 21
As soon as the ghouls appear Xasay, Emmet and Tori let loose a volley of arrow, bolt and bullet.
The bullet misses, but Tori's arrow kills one undead while Xasay hurts another. A shadowy eagle appears beside one of the ghouls, but it scratches at thin air.
Vagantem and the scratcher form a defensive line.
Initiative
Tori
Emmet
- - -
Vagantem - readied melee to hit 24 damage 5
Scratcher - readied melee to hit 15 damage 7
- - -
Red: 3 damage
White
- - -
Xasay
Tori weakens one of the ghouls and Tori shoots arrow after arrow, killing both remaining ghouls!
Among the piles of revealing clothing inside the tent are a potion of cure moderate wounds in a leather hip flask depicting a crocodile (worth 25 gp), three very sharp, oft-used daggers (one of which is masterwork), a chest containing six flasks of alchemist’s fire, two barrels of very cheap perfume worth 25 gp each, a wedding dress inlaid with pearls and set with three tiny rubies (worth 400 gp), a whalebone corset set with mother-of-pearl inlays worth 20 gp, a dozen silver hatpins set with tiny obsidians worth 5 gp each, scattered gems worth a total of 250 gp, 56 gp, and 97 sp.
There is a small stream here, but the water tastes salty...
Onward northeast into the bog or back to the western end? I marked your position on the island map
|AC 20, T 13, FF 18|HP: 45/45|F +2, R +8, W +4 (+1 vs water/cold, +2 vs shadow, +3 vs poison, +4 vs fear/drain/death/Necr)|Init +2, Perc +4|CMB +6 CMD 18|23/23 Perform, 3/3 Speaker, 3/3 Phantasm, 1/1 comic relief
Xasay roots through the loot. "Hmm, at least we'll be ready if we must face any tiny lycanthropes," He delivers deadpan as he contemplates the silver hatpins, "And THIS...who wears these??? Kuthites?" He marvels at the whalebone corset. Then he spots the chest of alchemist fire. "Ahh, I wonder what they intended to do with THESE?"
I'll take 2 flasks of alchemist's fire, if that's alright.
"Woohoo! That's quite a treasure for a couple of undead creatures. Wonder what the story is here. But hey, they won't be needing these things, so let's pack them up and take with us."
I'll take a few alchy fires too, and haul the rest of it in the chest if we can.
HP 36/36; Reroll (@+3) 1/1; Wand Infernal Healing: 50/50; Sylph Fighter 4; AC 20; Touch 15; FF 15; Fort +5; Ref +5; Will +2; init +4; perc +0
"Nice shooting!" praises Vagantem.
"It looks like someone was on their honeymoon when they were shipwrecked here. Odd that there are undead. I suspect we might not find many living creatures here..."
Vag also pockets a vial of liquid fire.
"Shall we try and keep our boots dry for the moment. Let us continue west for the moment."
You move back along the beach and come to a split in the path. One branch goes straight south to what appears to be cultivated fields from this distance while the other branch heads up into the higher ground.
|AC 20, T 13, FF 18|HP: 45/45|F +2, R +8, W +4 (+1 vs water/cold, +2 vs shadow, +3 vs poison, +4 vs fear/drain/death/Necr)|Init +2, Perc +4|CMB +6 CMD 18|23/23 Perform, 3/3 Speaker, 3/3 Phantasm, 1/1 comic relief
"A reasonable assumption," Xasay shrugs. "Then again, cultivated fields are about as reliable a sign of anthropoid settlement as there can be...but a better view sounds good."
You move to the west, climbing slowly above sea level until you finally get to the ridge. The path follows the ridge and you rest for a while before moving on. It is late in the afternoon before you continue.
A well-built timber stockade surrounds a small lodge on the ridge. Vines wrap and strangle a great tree that rises next to the lodge, blocking light from above. Beside it is a bubbling spring. The stockade gate is ajar and the walls are made of sharpened wooden stakes 7 feet high.
|AC 20, T 13, FF 18|HP: 45/45|F +2, R +8, W +4 (+1 vs water/cold, +2 vs shadow, +3 vs poison, +4 vs fear/drain/death/Necr)|Init +2, Perc +4|CMB +6 CMD 18|23/23 Perform, 3/3 Speaker, 3/3 Phantasm, 1/1 comic relief
After briefly looking around for somebody named Roger, Xasay acts on a whim and takes a very careful look at the spring....
F Human (Varisian) Fighter 7 - HP 59/60 - AC 21/T: 16/FF: 16 - Perception +1 - Fort: +7, Ref: +8, Will: +4 (+2 vs. fear) - CMB: +9, CMD: 24 - Speed: 30 - Init. +7 - Sense Motive: +1
"At least that appears to be the solution to the ship's water problem." Tori says, pointing to the bubbling spring. "Do we want to try call out to whoever lives there again or try a stealthy approach?"
From outside the barricade nothing seems amiss. Xasay detects a looking glass firmly lodged in the barricade, pointing out of the barricade to the south.
You think you need to step into the barricade if you really want to investigate the spring or lodge.
M Human Snakebite Striker 2/Warpriest 4 HP 54/54 AC: 24 T: 13 FF: 21 F/R/W: +10/+8/+7 Init: +3 Perception: +11 Blessings 5/5
"Aight, no need to pussyfoot 'round here, let's see what's up in this bloody place.", the Scratcher stepping inside the barricade as he looks towards the stockade.
Scratcher carefully walks into the stockade and scans the area, followed by Vagantem and Xasay. The big tree is covered by vines. Suddenly two vines seem to detach from the tree and shoot down. The first one hits scratcher, hurting him! The second one comes down and also hits. This one attaches itself to the pathfinder and hoists him up 10 feet!
Initiative
Vagantem
- - -
Red at 10 ft high in the tree
- - -
Emmet
Tori
- - -
Blue at 10 ft high in the tree & grappling Scratcher
- - -
Xasay
Scratcher 14/30 hp, grappled @ 10feet in the air.
Coming closer it seems that hidden within the vines two creatures have carefully hidden themselves. They look like vines and have very long arms. One of the creatures lashes out twice at Vagantem and returns a nasty cut on the arm, which causes it to miss the Sylph.
Initiative
Emmet
Tori
- - -
Blue at 10 ft high in the tree & grappling Scratcher
- - -
Xasay
Scratcher 14/30 hp, grappled @ 10feet in the air.
Vagantem
- - -
Red at 10 ft high in the tree, 6 damage
- - -
These are variants of the normally underground living choker, called a vine choker. They are very good at choking their victims (no speech possible when grappled) and are very quick (additional move action in each turn)
Emmet shoots the choker that is not grappling Scratcher. Tori tries to hit the one that is grappling Scratcher, missing it because she does not want to hit her ally.
Initiative
Xasay
Scratcher 7/30 hp, Pinned @ 10feet in the air.
Vagantem
- - -
Red at 10 ft high in the tree, 10 damage
- - -
Emmet
Tori
- - -
Blue at 10 ft high in the tree & grappling Scratcher
- - -
|AC 20, T 13, FF 18|HP: 45/45|F +2, R +8, W +4 (+1 vs water/cold, +2 vs shadow, +3 vs poison, +4 vs fear/drain/death/Necr)|Init +2, Perc +4|CMB +6 CMD 18|23/23 Perform, 3/3 Speaker, 3/3 Phantasm, 1/1 comic relief
Xasay holds one of his stencils up against the light, and once again, from out of nowhere comes an otherworldly dark bird to viciously assault the vine that had just been strangling Scratcher!
You know the drill, I think: Full attack, Smiting in case it's Evil (add +1 to all damage rolls below if so), DC 16 Will save reduces it to 20% reality.
Xasay's otherworldly puppet bites the choker, doing substantial damage with its papery beak Yep, it is evil
Scratcher is suddenly loose and manages to land on his feet. He steps away in a defensive stance while the other choker tries to hit Vagantem. The sylph puts up his sword but is just a tad too quick, slashing thin air. Luckily for the pathfinders the choker is deterred by the sword and does not hit with her two attacks!
Initiative
Emmet
Tori
- - -
Blue at 10 ft high in the tree, 3 damage
- - -
Xasay
Xasay's puppet round 2
Scratcher 7/30 hp, full defense
- - -
Red at 10 ft high in the tree, 10 damage
- - -
Tori takes out the red-hued choker with her first arrow and switches targets. Her second shot misses.
The blueish choker decides to try to hit Vagantem, given that Scratcher miraculously disappeared from its grip. It hits the sylph once but fails to hoist her up in the air.
Initiative
Xasay
Xasay's puppet round 2
Scratcher 7/30 hp, full defense
Emmet
Tori
Vagantem 14/20 hp
- - -
Blue at 10 ft high in the tree, 3 damage
- - -
|AC 20, T 13, FF 18|HP: 45/45|F +2, R +8, W +4 (+1 vs water/cold, +2 vs shadow, +3 vs poison, +4 vs fear/drain/death/Necr)|Init +2, Perc +4|CMB +6 CMD 18|23/23 Perform, 3/3 Speaker, 3/3 Phantasm, 1/1 comic relief
In the future, would you mind bolding who's up, please?
HP 36/36; Reroll (@+3) 1/1; Wand Infernal Healing: 50/50; Sylph Fighter 4; AC 20; Touch 15; FF 15; Fort +5; Ref +5; Will +2; init +4; perc +0
With only one enemy up, it probably doesn't matter a lot, but is helpful
Vagantem winces at the fresh wound, and continues to stand ready to strike at any vine getting close to her or her friends.
