GM_PapaSteve's The Confirmation for PbP Newbies [PbP Gameday IV] (Inactive)

Game Master Papasteve08

Nella shudders and falls back from the nearest swarm, moving to stand next to Shuo and Nbu. As she does, she focuses her attention on Shuo and wills the blessings of her goddess to bolster his next actions. "I'm with you," she says, her expression serious for a change. "But I hope you or one of the others has a really big shoe..."

Nella will move to the space between Shuo and Nbu and then use Blessing of the Faithful on Shuo as a standard action. Shuo gets a +2 sacred bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, or saving throws or to AC until my next turn.

Shuo has absolutely nothing to do!

Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Shuo sees Lissa attacking the swarm with water.

Hum… maybe I should try it too…

With a quick gesture, Shuo casts create water above the left swarm. Points for creativity?

"I think we should spread ourselves… in this open terrain, at least they will attack only one of us! And it will give us more time." Saying this, Shuo walks to the left, adjacent to the tree.

I have no permission to alter the map.

"Nella! Fire-bottles! Can you get me one to throw? Everyone, follow Shuo's lead- spread out! Swarms are Death!" Kajar yells as he moves towards Nella, hand extended---

map manipulation unavailable- So if Nella moves adjacent to Shuo and Nbu, It's a move action (30') for Kajar to reach Nella, and a standard action to grab a flask of Alchemist's Fire from her(?)

"Don't bunch up!" cries Nbu T'ka, trying hard not to panic as Kajar suggests following Shuo's guidance while simultaneously trying to get closer to Nella and Nbu T'ka.

He fingers his own alchemist's fire, wondering if now is the right time to use the valuable liquid.

Just a quick note to be more careful than usual when using others' equipment in PFS. It's not as easy to share or repay sharing... so best not to assume too much.

I know I can squash one spider with my boot, but I don't think that works with THIS many spiders. What did Kajar shout about fire...

"Does anyone have a torch? I'm afraid i don't carry them as i can conjure my own light."

Luthor backs away from the swarms as he gets his flint and steel from his pack. He and tries to spread out as Nbu T'ka suggested.

As Luthor is weapon based he's not going to be much use for now. He can cast cure light wounds when needed though.

"*Squawk* Torch? Oh ye gods, I knew I forgot something..." Nbu T'ka clucks at himself angrily. For a moment, he forgets about the spiders closing in and just berates himself internally. Soon, though, he remembers himself and tries to figure out what to do.

"Remember your training! Remember the deeds of those who have gone before you!" Janira shouts encouragingly. Seeing the outstreched hand of Kajar, she quickly hands him an Alchemist's fire, encouraging all the way. The sound of her words, not worried in the least as the spiders move and swarm, lifts the companions spirits as they spread out.

I missed something on my first post, so you can take advantage of it starting this round - Janira's encouragement and oratory is, in fact, bardic inspire courage +1.

Nbu T'ka swallows his fear, showing the true measure of courage whether he realizes it or not, and shouts encouragement and direction to his comrades. Lissa tries to damage the writhing mass of spiders by calling for water from thin air, but only succeeds in splashing the nearby fallen tree trunk. Nella gives divine assistance to Shuo, who wracks his brain trying to figure out what to do next. Kajar takes the offered Alchemist's fire from Janira, who begins to reach for another one from her pack.

As the companions spread out and begin to mount their defense against the swarms, the spiders move in. The carpet of gold piece sized spiders envelops Nella, quickly blotting out any sight of her.

Nella Swarm Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Nella Fort Save, DC 11 vs poison: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Nella Strength Damage from Poison: 1d2 ⇒ 2

Nella Fort Save, DC 11 vs distraction: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

While the oversized mandibles of the spiders don't seem to cut very deep, the psychological effect of being completely covered in spiders is more than Nella can handle. To distracted to do anything but swat at the vermin, she cannot fight off the poison now coursing through hundreds of tiny wounds.

Nella is now nauseated for 1 round. This condition is just for the mechanics, in reality she isn't sick, she is freaked the $&%*% out and swatting at the spiders, so cannot take any other actions.

Next up: Nbu T’ka (round 1); Kajar, Shuo, Lissa, Luthor, Nella (round 2).

ROUND 2 - OH GAWD THEY'RE EVERYWHERE

Remembering Janira's advice too late, all Nella has time to do is shriek in terror before the spiders engulf her. Unable to see, barely able to breathe, all she can do is swat madly at the tiny arachnids and stagger around in an attempt to escape.

Can't access the map from work, but if she can, Nella will attempt to move out of the swarm as I think she can take a single move action while nauseated.

Nbu T'ka draws his flask of alchemist's fire from his bandolier (move action) and breathes deeply. Ne takes aim at the swarm without anyone near it (south west one) and flings it as hard as he can.

Alchemist's fire, ranged touch attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Fire damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1 x 1.5, or 1 dmg splash, so... 1 then.

Having thrown the expensive liquid, the tengu moves away from the swarms, feathers shaking nervously. 5ft step NE, Lockwood needed please.

Gah! So much to keep track of. I forgot to put Janira in the initiative order. She is currently inspiring courage. Nella and Nbu T'ka's lockwoods are complete.

Janira Init: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Nella runs and screams as far as she can get away from the spiders while Nbu T'ka throws his precious liquid fire. In his exuberance, he puts a little to much muscle on the throw, causing the flask to explode onto the tree behind the carpet of spiders. Fire rains down, causing a handful of spiders to be flung from the roiling mass like fleas jumping off of a dog before its bath, but the mass rolls on.

Next up: Kajar, Shuo, Lissa, Luthor (round 2) .

Knowing he would be of no help during this fight, Shuo runs towards Nella, hoping to help her with the spiders’ poison.

During his run, he looks around, search for any dried branch so he could set it on fire and use as a weapon.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Assuming Shuo finds any dried branch, would it be a full-round action to set it on fire with a Flint and steel?

Luthor sees Janira pull an alchemist's fire flask from her pack.

I hope that bag is filled with all kinds of useful bits and pieces. I already feel like I'm missing important supplies!

"Janira, do you have more of those things? Or maybe a torch?" he says, as he heads carefully in the halfling's direction.

Lissa's swearing stops cold when Nella shrieks, and she glances toward the duo running north.
Five weight says she's been bit... I hope she or Shuo can do something about that.
She quickly retreats from the approaching swarm, hoping over the felled tree in the process, and skids to a halt near the next tree, before gathering another mass of water and firing a curtain off toward the swarm that assaulted Nella.

Kinetic Blast vs. Red, Point Blank, Inspire: 1d20 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 9
Kinetic Blast damage, Point Blank, Inspire: 1d6 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 10

... okay, this has ceased to be even vaguely funny.

@Shuo - Flint and steel is indeed a full round action to light anything. You would need a move action to pick up the branch, a standard to pull your flint and steel out, and then a full round to light it.

Shuo breaks towards the screaming cleric, hoping to help somehow. As he gets close, he eyes a moderately sized branch with a bundle of dried leaves on the end near the feet of the flailing, panicking woman.

Luthor runs to the halfling who is handing out Alchemist's fire hoping she has more.

Lissa focuses her mysterious powers pausing just a moment to allow the ball of water to grow just a bit bigger, and unleashes the blast. The water sails harmlessly over the wiggling mass, and the Varisian kicks herself, confident it would have done the trick against the spider menace.

"Take heart Lissa! Remember from Master Shaine's lecture last month, it was Selmius Foster’s race against a marid and efreeti on the isle of Jalmeray, which taught us that nothing is truly impossible and every situation can end in victory!" Janira shouts, trying to bolster her students moral. The spiders were still running around, nearly unchecked.

I'll hold on a little longer, I just know they can pull this out!

"Yes! Yes I do!" she answers Luthor, encouraged by his courage in the face of the creepy masses.

Kajar readies himself to bolt, until he sees Janira's proffered combustible. He takes it and hurls it at the nearest swarm red square

alchemist's fire, Inspire: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 4 + 1 = 21
damage, Inspire: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
LAME

"OK, can we outsmart these things? I'm out of borrowed fire!"

Is it a swift or a move action to take the alchemist's fire? Either way, Kajar stays with Janira.

Kajar hits the swarm right in the center. A small fireball erupts, consuming a good number of the spiders, but the mass just folds in on itself. It doesn't appear to be as big now, but it still rolls on.

Sorry I can't get the full combat post up. I will get it tomorrow morning.

The two swarms of spiders buzz angrily, thousands of tiny mandibles clicking together in anticipation of a meal. One swarm Blue begins to morph north, intent on picking the feathers clean from the Tengu, while the other one red roils over Janira and Kajar as they fumble for more alchemist's fire.

Poison and Distraction save are both fort vs DC 11

Swarm Damage, Nbu T'ka: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Fort Save v Poison, Nbu T'ka: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Fort Save v Distraction, Nbu T'ka: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Swarm Damage, Janira: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Fort Save v Poison, Janira: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Str Damage, Janira: 1d2 ⇒ 2
Fort Save v Distraction, Janira: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Swarm Damage, Kajar: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Fort Save v Poison, Kajar (with GI): 1d20 + 4 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 7 = 14
Str Damage, Kajar: 1d2 ⇒ 2
Fort Save v Distraction, Kajar: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

Fire Damage to Red Swarm (continued Alch. Fire): 1d6 ⇒ 3

"Get out of there Kajar; Nbu T'ka! Keep spreading out! Keep trying Lissa, I know you've got it in you!" Janira shouts, maintaining her inspiration. Despite the terrifying situation, the pathfinder recruits continue to feel emboldened by her words.

The little halfling winces at the bites and the poison now in her veins, but shakes off the spiders without losing focus. She runs away from the mass, pulling out another vial of liquid fire and handing it to Luthor as she skids to a stop. She sees Kajar swarmed over, and can read the pain in his eyes, knowing keenly it is the same as what she has just felt.

"Kajar, stand strong my orcish guardian!"

Janira uses and immediate action to cast gallant inspiration.

Inspiration bonus to Fort Save: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

Kajar, take 5 damage from the swarm, but Janira's spell adds 7 to your poison fort save, making it 14 and thus helping you to pass it and avoid the str damage. Luthor, She used a move action to move closer to you and a standard action to draw the alchemist's fire. you can take it from her outstretched hand with a swift action.

Next up: Nbu T’ka (round 2); Kajar, Shuo, Lissa, Luthor, Nella (round 3) .

Nbu T'ka steps out of the blue swarm, shaking himself to get the spiders off his body. "If fire didn't work, *squawk* perhaps this will..." he postulates, and draws out a vial of blue liquid from his bandolier (liquid ice).

With determination despite his fear, Nbu T'ka flings the vial into the center of the swarm.

Liquid ice, ranged touch vs Blue swarm, inspire courage: 1d20 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 + 1 = 18
Cold damage, inspire courage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 x 1.5 = 10 hp damage, or 1 splash damage if I miss.

Worried about the venom that the spiders might carry, Shuo tries to help Nella to overcome it.

Heal (DC 11): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25 (std action) Nella, now you receive +4 to your Fort save next turn.

"Nella-san, you will feel better!" Shuo says while he retrieves his flint and steel. (move action)

"Fei wa, watashi wa sono eda o motarashimasu!" Shuo points out to the dried branch.

Handle Animal (DC 10): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11 (free action) Fei knows the 'fetch' trick.

Fei flyes towards the branch, picks it and gives it to Shuo.

"Hoot hoot."

The coalescing mass of spiders hiss angrily as their meal steps out of their grasp. The vial of ice floats through the air in what feels like slow motion before coming down pefectly in the center just as the thousands of spiders pile up to surge forward again. The vial breaks in a shower of bluish liquid that seems to steal the very heat from the air.

The entirety of the swarm is coated in a blanket of life-stealing cold, and the majority of the vermin never move again, frozen in place. A few of the lucky insulated spiders scatter off into the brush, smart enough to know that they no longer have the numbers to overwhelm their prey.

Shuo knows just where to squeeze to help force the poison back out of Nella's body before it can hopefully do more damage, while Fei swoops down to grab the branch.

Fort Save v Poison, Nella (2nd save), +4 bonus: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 + 4 = 25

Fei has the branch, Nella has made her second save against he poison and is cured. Blue Swarm is d-e-d dead.

Next up: Kajar, Lissa, Luthor, Nella (round 3) .

ROUND 3

"Thanks Shuo...I owe you a drink later!"

Now free of the spiders as well as their poison, Nella takes a deep breath and turns back towards the remaining swarm as it menaces her fellow initiates. She reaches into her pack and pulls out a small corked bottle and begins to cautiously approach, hoping to avoid drawing the swarm's attention...

Move to retrieve alchemist's fire, then another move action to move closer.

Luthor takes the proffered flask and gets ready to throw. He waits for Kajar to move from in the middle of the remaining swarm before he lets the alchemical concoction fly.

"Sarenrae protect Kajar under that blanket of spiders" he mutters to himself.

Luthor doesn't want to risk his ally getting hurt so he'll ready an action to throw the alchemist's fire flask as soon as Kajar is away from the swarm.

Luthor takes the proffered flask and gets ready to throw. He waits for Kajar to move from in the middle of the remaining swarm before he lets the alchemical concoction fly.

"Sarenrae protect Kajar under that blanket of spiders" he mutters to himself.

Luthor doesn't want to risk his ally getting hurt so he'll ready an action to throw the alchemist's fire flask as soon as Kajar is away from the swarm.

Luthor - This is a perfect time for using spoilers. See example below. This saves you from waiting possibly a day or more to post what you would do once your readied action condition happens.

My first readied action in pbp - it's so special that i had to do it wrong :P

Lissa steels herself in order to try again. She draws yet another orb of water together, and aims at the chittering mass that seems to be fixated on Kajar at the moment....

Kinetic Blast, Point Blank, Inspire: 1d20 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 1 + 1 = 8

...only to shoot wide again. "I swear that I practiced with Master Farabellus, Janira! Regularly, and for hours at a time!" Lessa cried out, practically distraught over the constant misfortune that seems to be following her this week.

*sighs* I had the feeling I was going to get a 3... This is ridiculous.

*sighs* I had the feeling I was going to get a 3... This is ridiculous.

sounds like you have the answer to your problem... Time to start the 20 feeling! Don't worry, you are not alone. I'll have to introduce you to a half orc I know one of these days.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Don't worry, you are not alone. I'll have to introduce you to a half orc I know one of these days.

1d20 ⇒ 1 -- Ha! Lorted it!

"Typical!"

Kajar sees Luthor out of the corner of his eye, and his smile widens, his eyes get a little crazy. He pulls a flask of oil and dumps it at his feet the SW corner of the swarm and then backs out of the swarm, cursing.

Once he clears the swarm he shouts, Janira, thanks! Let it rip, Luthor!"

the oil occupies a 5' square,and if ignited burns for 2 rounds dealing 1d3 damage. source is Ult equip, PFPRD. IDK if this is additional damage, it should at least make the cinematic fire burst WAY bigger!

Lissa's frustration gets the better of her, causing her to miss yet again.

"Getting frustrated only makes it worse Lissa! Have confidence in yourself!" Janira shouts.

Nella overcomes her fear and hopes to show the others that she isn't afraid after all. She moves in while pulling a flask from her pack, ready to throw.

Luthor does the same, and cocks his arm to throw, but is concerned for Kajar. Kajar shows his cunning when he sees what is about to happen, and dumps a flask of oil all over the spider carpet at his feet before stepping away and shaking the spiders crawling on his body off.

As soon as he steps out, Luthor unleashes his flask, but is still concerned for hitting Kajar, and throws the flask wide.

The oil text mentions that the surface you pour it on must be smooth. I think that things are just vague enough that I can reward you for creativity and quality RP. It just says the oil needs to be lit, so I will rule that the splash damage, which counts as fire damage, lights the oil.

Burning oil fire damage: 1d3 ⇒ 1 Total of 1 splash, 1 oil fire for 2 damage

The companions all look on, especially Kajar, in hopes that a few of the splashes hit the patch of oil. After a few uncomfortable seconds, the oil does just what they had hoped, and bursts to life in a dancing flame that spits out smoking husks of spiders like a twisted pan of popped corn. The swarm breaks up and disappears quickly in a hundred different directions beneath the leaves and undergrowth.

Combat over! Great job!

Go ahead and tell me what you do to regroup, Janira will chime in on my next post. Just as a reminder, you are halfway through your second day of walking, and aren't all that far from the caves now. Janira expects the gillman to arrive this evening.

Kajar excitedly slaps the backs of his companions, despite his obvious wounds.

"Here we go, now! Here we go! Cooperation, good looks all around! Luthor, thanks for saving my skin there- damned fool I am, wading through a sea of spiders!"

Kajar's exuberance is slightly undercut by a wincing pain betrayed by a twitch of his jaw.

"I'd be a fool to say I knew the leaves and moss underfoot would float that oil for just a few seconds - Somewhere a halfling's missing her luck!"

Kajar winces again, the bites and scrapes of the diminutive assailants causing pain.

"If I remember the map proper, we are near the caves - we must meet our quarry by nightfall and rest is out of the question."

down 5 of 13, Kajar can soldier on; out-of-combat healing is appreciated, anyone else hurt? :) Fool Ranger didn't purchase his own cure potion, missteps of a PFS newbie...

Lissa's shoulders slump as she watches the remaining spiders flee in every direction. Another combat, Another demonstration of how spastic her powers and aim can be. At this rate, she might as well return to the lodge and spend another year training.... if they'd let her.
"Let's continue to the caves,"she flatly states, as she begins to trudge in the direction they were heading.

Just because I'm amused by my horrid dice chi doesn't mean that Lissa is.

"Before we move to the caves, we should tend to our wounds," Nbu T'ka notes, looking down at his own spider bites, "I have a wand that I can use - unless Janira has something from the Society for us to use instead..." The tengu manages all this without a single squawk. His walk has just a little strut to it. Clearly, single-handedly destroying one of the swarms has done wonders for his confidence.

Nbu T'ka leans down over the flash frozen spider swarm and picks up a few chilled spiders. He eyes them off briefly before popping one in his mouth. He gives it an experimental crunch, nods his head approvingly and then throws the rest of the handful into his beak. He scoops up a few more and drops them into a belt ouch for snacking on later.

Yeah, so healing time. Happy to share my wand of CLW around for those who don't have one. Then happy to head off to the caves.

Shuo trows the dried branch into the woods with a mix of relief and disappointment.

I should have prepared myself better for this quest… but at least I learned another valuable lesson: never forget some splash potions.

"Honored friends, while you tend your wounds, I think I will take a look at that tree… just to make sure the danger is over. I am not fond of coincidences."

While passing by Nbu, Shuo says. "Well done noble friend. You are indeed full of surprises."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

"Wow, fire really does do the trick!" Nella comments as she carefully stows her flask back into her pack. "Or ice..." she adds, unable to suppress a shudder as she watches Nbu snacking on the frozen arachnids. "What was it that you used? If it's cheaper than fire in a bottle, I might have to invest the next time I'm able to go shopping."

I'm such a fool, I can't believe that I didn't remember the alchemist's fire sooner. What is it they say, live and learn? Learning is something I think I'll be doing plenty of in the near future!

As mention is made of patching up the wounded, she blinks with surprise when the tengu offers use of a magical wand. "You're prepared for everything, aren't you!" she laughs, shaking her head admiringly. "I've not called on Lady Shelyn's aid today, so I'd also be able to heal whoever is injured. But if you think it would be better to make use of your wand, I can hold off in the event that we run into anymore trouble...which hopefully won't be the case!"

Still getting used to PFS-think hehe, would it be better for Nella to hold off on using her channels and just let Nbu use his wand?

"Who *crunch* knew that cold would be more effective at killing spiders than fire?" asks Nbu T'ka, happily snapping at spiders then tilting his head back to allow them to slide down his gullet after a few bites, "They are *crunch* quite tasty this way, too! No tang *crunch* of burnt oil. The vial in question is called liquid ice. The quartermaster at the Grand Lodge *crunch* always keeps a few on hand, you should have a chat to him when we get back to Absalom!"

Nbu T'ka looks pensive for a moment. And grows a little furtive, "*Squawk* Ummm... did we ever find out what that 'WOOMF' sound *squawk* was? Maybe we'd best make for the caves *squawk* quickly."

"Well done indeed!" Janira congratulates everyone as they recover from the attack. "I would tell you how well you have done in your first battle together, but..." Janira stops short, seeing the look on Lissa's face. "You were wonderful again. You truly have what it takes to make great pathfinder agents." she says with a smile.

"Good idea Shuo, I heard the sound from right over there. While you do that, I will tend to Kajar here."

Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 You are back to full Kajar

"Nella, Nbu T'ka, take these here." Janira says, offering each of them a potion of cure light wounds. "Your wounds may be minor, but in the wilderness, you never know when you need to be at full strength. You may choose when you use it."

Should be everybody! Sorry, The scenario is written for Janira to help you with healing, I should have made that more clear in my last post so you didn't have to worry about it.

The little halfling goes around to each of the pathfinders to make sure they are not still shaken after the combat, continuing to offer her words of encouragement and spilling her effervescent optimism all over the place.

While she passes out the potions and heals the ranger, Nbu T'ka collects a snack for later. The frozen husks of the spiders give off an ozone kind of flavor, and the crunch is unusual, making the treat extra special. Shuo returns shortly after to report that the tree that fell a short ways off was indeed, just an old, rotten tree. Kajar surmises that the spiders were spurred to action by the activity that followed the falling of the tree, much like a swarm of bees might after their nest is disturbed.

I am going to save some time here and make a few rolls for you. This part could potentially take several days of back and forth, so I will use your stats and put the rolls here for you so we can move on to the next part.

Janira is glad when the group seems eager to continue on to the caves and begins to lead them further into the thick forest. Where before there were nicely packed trails and open fields, now the trails are harder to find, and branches and undergrowth pull at the initiates gear and try to trip them up. Progress nearly grinds to a halt as the group picks their way through the overgrown forest.

"We must be getting close. These woods are thick! Surly there must be a better way." Janira taps her foot with her hands on her hips, staring into the trees as if her impatient posture might force them to shrink back and make a way for the group to pass more easily.

Kajar and Shuo are eager to offer assistance, sharing a look quickly before moving ahead of the group to find the most advantageous path.

Survival Aid Another, Kajar (DC10): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Survival Check, Shuo (DC15), w/aid: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 2 = 25

After a short conference, and some crossing search patterns, the two woodsman find a series of game trails that turn out to be rather easy to walk along, making their paths to the caves a bit easier.

"What an excellent example of cooperation! Well done pathfinders! We will make the caves in plenty of time! Ohhh, I am so excited to see them again!"

Good time for those rolls! Next stop, the caves. I have run out of time this morning, and this is a big enough block of text. Feel free to RP a little more, particularly Kajar and Shuo, but I will plan to move you on to the next part later today. There isn't a whole lot for you to react to just yet, other than telling your part of the story through the woods.

Shuo looks at the maps and at his compass. After years traveling around Tian-Xia, he is quite proud of his tracking and navigating skills.

Hum... it will be no problem to find this cave but, a second opinion is Always importante.

"Kajar-san, could you make me the grandious favor of giving me your opinon about our route? What do you think of we walking until this stream, them follow it north until this pointy rock... with a couple more hours traveling east from there we should be able to spot the caverns..."

Also, if this Survival test was t'avoid getting lost', Shuo gets +4 since he has a compass and a mapmaker's kit... none of this matters because of the 17 roll... just curious!

At first, even Janira's effervescent optimism doesn't break Lissa out the moping that she seems to be mired in. She's not shaken being the insect incursion, but rather sullen about her performance. It takes a couple moments for Lissa to seemingly get out of her funk after they leave that section of the woods. Still, she's straying toward the back, letting the others talk to each other while she watches for any other assaults.

Bluff: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

*Starts laughing hysterically*NOW I get a good roll.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Shuo moves discretely towards Lissa.

"Not even one of the great legendary and honored warriors of my country have lived without the fear of not being able to fulfill their destiny, but what made them legendary was that they overcame their fear. The fear does not dishonor us... being paralyzed by it does. Do not let yourself be defined by your failures, pursue your destined and you shall become yourself a legend."

Shuo puts a hand at her shoulder, looks directly in her eyes. "This is YUU, the second aspect of the Bushido, 'to act despite fear'." then moves back to the front of the line.

Nella accepts the potion from Janira, carefully holding it up to study the color. "Thanks Janira! Between your stash, Nbu T'ka's wand, and my blessings, it shouldn't be a problem to keep everyone mended and ready for action." She hesitates for a moment, gazing at the multitude of tiny bite marks that the spiders left on her skin. Though a part of her chafes at the thought of wasting such a boon on something as minor as bug bites, another part feels compelled to point out that listening to Janira might the wiser course of action.

Listen to her words - she expects that there might be more trouble before the day is done. And she obviously has enough pull to get these potions for us initiates to use if need be, so she can probably get more to replace them fairly easily.

"Down the hatch then," she says as she drinks the potion.

CLW Potion: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

At least, I hope so.

"Hey! It's sweet, almost like some sort of fruit juice," she comments, smacking her lips. "Okay, ready to go when everyone else is," she grins, shouldering her pack once more. "And thanks for the tip about the liquid ice too, Nbu T'ka. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have both that and the alchemist's fire on hand if a person can afford it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As they traverse through the forest, Nella quickly discovers that there are plenty more hazards than just spiders. "Argh! It would take a whirling dervish to cut their way through this place," she exclaims irritably after tripping over a half-buried root for the 5th or 6th time. When Shuo and Kajar team up and find the group an easier trail to walk, the priestess' relief is palpable.

"Shuo, Kajar, I think I could kiss you both right now," she sighs happily as they move onto the more open path. "It's a lot easier to enjoy nature's beauty when you're not having to avoid low-hanging branches, hidden roots, slippery rocks, and thorns." As they move along she takes stock of her companions, most of whom have been fairly quiet during their hike.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Everyone seems like they're in good spirits - must be Janira's enthusiasm rubbing off on us again!

Not wanting to distract Shuo and Kajar from their scouting and seeing Lissa occupied with watching their backs, Nella turns her attention to Luthor and Nbu T'ka. "So...Nbu T'ka, you're from Tian Xia, right? I'm sure you probably get this question a lot, but what was it like there?" she queries as she sidles up to the pair.

Luthor looked on in shock as the alchemist's fire flew off target, but cheered with delight when the oil Kajar trailed behind him set the tiny insects on fire.

"Good idea on the flammable oil Kajar, you turned my bad aim into a great victory. You didn't even let being covered in spiders stop you!"

He tries to keep his tone jovial but his voice gives away the fact that he is very relived the spider swarms have been dispersed.

"Well i'm glad those spiders are dealt with, thanks in no small part to Janira's bag of tricks." he smiles at the halfling and nods his appreciation at her preparation skills.

"This confirmation is already off to an 'EXCITING' start, and we haven't even found those caves yet."

When the group is searching

Luthor tries his best to understand what his allies are doing.

If i'm going to be travelling a lot i really should try to learn how to survive in the wilderness. It's nothing like living in the city at all!

"If there's anything i can do to help please ask. I may not be good in the wilderness but i'm certainly keen to learn and help however i can"

When the group finds their way

"Janira is right! We're exploring and cooperating brilliantly so far. Now we just need to report what we find inside these caves and we've got the Pathfinder's trifecta!

It doesn't take long for Luthor to return to his normal optimistic self. He looks over his allies to see how they're coping after their brush with danger.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

I think we're all handling this quite well so far.

Not wanting to distract Shuo and Kajar from their scouting and seeing Lissa occupied with watching their backs, Nella turns her attention to Luthor and Nbu T'ka. "So...Nbu T'ka, you're from Tian Xia, right? I'm sure you probably get this question a lot, but what was it like there?" she queries as she sidles up to the pair.

"That's an excellent question Nella. This is my first time leaving Absolom. I've met lots of different people growing up in the big city and i never tire of hearing new tales. I'd love to hear more about where you all come from."

"You are welcome fore my tips about ice, Nella," Nbu T'ka says, just before swallowing his potion in one big gulp.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

"So, why did the chicken cross the road?" asks Nbu T'ka during a lull in the conversation, "To get to the other side." He answers awkwardly.

Nbu T'ka bluff: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (10) + 0 = 10

Janira Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

Janira frowns as Lissa mopes, but hides it from the front as the group pushes on.

Another opportunity for them to show their value. They need the opportunity to do this themselves before I intervene.

It is challenging, but Janira holds her tongue. When she sees Shuo move back to speak with Lissa, she smiles all the more.

"Ahh.. ha!" Janira chuckles at Nbu T'ka's attempt at a joke. Her mirth is more borne from the amusement of watching the awkward tengu try more mundane human things.

"And what do you call two crows sitting on a log, Nbu T'ka?" She asks, pausing for a few moments while waiting for a response.

Feel free to respond back to this with an OOC header if you want to attempt an answer. You will have a dilemma to respond to though in your next post....

After a few more hours of walking, made remarkably easier under the guidance of Kajar and Shuo, the dense forest opens to a wide clearing at the base of a sheer cliff. Thick vines cover the surface of the cliff stretching 30 feet overhead. The remaining light of the day hangs in the air, but feels as though a blanket of night's darkness is about to be pulled over the whole world.

“Here! The cave entrance is behind those vines,” Janira says with a broad smile as she walks to the cliff’s face. She pulls back several layers of vegetation to reveal a narrow crack in the cliff’s surface. “This is where I saw the gillmen enter.”

As she motions toward the aperture, the surrounding woods come alive with the sound of small animals and birds fleeing some unseen danger and a large creature crashing through the undergrowth. The group gets an eerie feeling of deja-vu, with the sound of a falling tree replaced by the sound of something much larger and more menacing creating the disturbance.

The halfling worriedly remarks, “Quick, take cover before whatever it is spots us!” As if she’d summoned the creature with her words, a massive horned monstrosity emerges from the trees. Standing eight feet tall on a pair of cloven hooves and wielding a tremendous axe, the bull-headed creature roars with unbridled anger when it spots the group.

“A minotaur! There’s little chance we can stand against it. Take this bag,” she continues, pulling off her backpack, “and head deeper into the caves. Finish your mission. I’ll lead it away from the caves, lose it in the forest, and join you as soon as I can. Now go! GO!” She heaves her backpack into the cave, casts a spell, and darts off toward the minotaur before turning to lure it away.

I wish I could have gotten this for you earlier today. I'll give you all a chance to respond to this then move you forward when it seems most appropriate. As always, please don't hesitate to ask any questions if there is anything unclear.

Kajar immediately regrets his intense focus on finding the cave.

Alright, Kajar, keep them safe. Small talk later; Lissa and Luthor need to know they can do this. Can the bird-man see in the dark?

"Everyone in! Follow me- I can see in the darkness, someone cover the entrance! Don't forget to grab Janira's pack!"

Kajar's tone is insistent as he moves to the cave mouth, but he pauses long enough to hear another plan of action.

What a great group- let's call it a party!

DURING THE HIKE

Though Nella laughs at Nbu's joke it's a bit of an awkward laugh, as the priestess seems unsure of how else to react to the tengu's attempt at humor. "Heh...that's a good one. I've always heard that chickens aren't exactly the smartest things around, but maybe there's some wondrous breed out there blessed with the intelligence and self-awareness to cross roads just because they can!" she adds, lamely.

Good job Nella, that was nearly as awkward as Nbu's joke. You could try taking a page from Aleris' book and not blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, you know. Sheesh.

"Um...anyway, there's not much else for me to tell you about Magnimar and Varisia that Lissa, Rin from the big group of initiates at the tavern, and I haven't already mentioned," she hurriedly continues, shifting the subject back to Luthor's statement. "I think that with any place, there's only so much that can be put into words - to get the full experience, you'd really have to visit. That's how Absalom was for me...I'd heard all sorts of things about it, but the words didn't do the city justice when I finally arrived and got to see it for myself."

PRESENT

"Wait, Janira! Lady Shelyn, please watch over her!" Nella calls as the halfling dashes off to intercept and lure the minotaur away from the rest of the group. Seeing no better alternatives she hustles towards the cave, trusting that Kajar will be their eyes in the darkness.

I know this technically isn't a combat round, but Nella would try to hit Janira with Blessing of the Faithful before she moves out of range.

Earlier...

"Heh...that's a good one. I've always heard that chickens aren't exactly the smartest things around, but maybe there's some wondrous breed out there blessed with the intelligence and self-awareness to cross roads just because they can!" she adds, lamely.

Nbu T'ka stands straighter, and his feathers stick out on end as much as possible. This makes him look bigger than he really is and it is typical for a tengu to do this when attracting a mate. It is also can happen involuntarily when they are attracted to anyone.

"A kindred spirit..." he says softly, though probably still loud enough to be heard, "She is amazing, and she gets me, she really gets me."

"And what do you call two crows sitting on a log, Nbu T'ka?"

"Hmmm. Two is too few to be a 'murder'," Nbu T'ka muses, treating the question far too seriously, "You could call them a pair of crows, I guess, but that would be assuming something about their association with one another. Perhaps they want nothing to do with one another and there are subspecies of crows to consider, so that you would not even know if they were... *squawk*" Nbu T'ka does catch Janira's look of amusement. He grew up in monastery, true, but before monks were monks they were children. Nbu T'ka knew what being made fun of looked like, and he did not enjoy it (though I love it! And yes, I know she wasn't making fun of him - I just thought that Nbu T'ka thinking that Janira was made for a nice narrative).

The present...

"*Squawk* a m-m-m-minot-t-taur?!?!" Nbu T'ka's feathers ruffle constantly as he trembles in fright, "Sh-sh-shouldn't we be *squawk* helping J-j-janira instead of fl-f-fl-f-fleeing? She *squawk* c-c-cannot possibly run as f-f-fast as a *squawk* minotaur c-c-can!"

Nbu T'ka puts his iron-shod 'walking stick' (as he calls it) in both hands and tries to stop them from shaking as he unconvincingly tries to appear as though he'd prefer to stand his ground.

Nbu T'ka will go with the group, but despite his fear he is no coward. He'd like to stay to help Janira.

Seeing the minotaur, Shuo darts towards the entrance of the cave, stops right before entering it, draws his bow and prepares an arrow. Now he could provide cover to those that had not already entered the cave when Kajar shouted.

"Hurry honored friends!... Fei wa,-gai de mammite, anzendesu."

When everyone has entered the cave, Shuo says after a couple o gestures.

"Gentle spirits of the moonlight sky, bless us with your pristine tears." Shuo casts light on a pebble he found on the ground of the cave.

Nella whispers a prayer and receives a rush of emotion shortly after, and she is confident that Lady Shelyn has blessed Janira as she begins to draw the minotar away.

Shuo covers the entrance while Nella and Kajar duck just inside. Nbu T'ka looks uneasily back and forth, wanting to lend aid to their mentor, but not wanting to leave the group.

As Janira runs away, the minotar looks furtivly at the group, then turns heel and begins crashing through the foliage that Janira steps so lightly through.

"Go pathfinders! Get into the caves and do what you came here for!" Janira implores, her voice fading slightly as she increases the distance.

I've got 3 votes for moving to the cave, and 1 vote for staying to help Janira. I'll let Lissa and Luthor chime in before we do anything else, I want to make sure everyone can have an opportunity here.

Back on the trail - sorry for the slightly out of order post.

Janira smiles at Nbu T'ka. "Attempted Murder" she chuckles, reaching her hand out to smooth a few of his feathers.

Sense motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

She does not notice at all that she may have offended the Tengu, not realizing the torment he may have endured. Children, while amazing, sweet and innocent, can also be so cruel. Janira is blissfully unaware.

"Do not worry if the humor doesn't make sense my fine feathered friend. Most humans don't get it either." she says with a smile, walking next to him for a bit longer.