GM Rat Sass's Legacy of Fire (Inactive)

Game Master GM Rat Sass

Doh. Thank you. Retcon

The blinded ram gore's blindly at those surrounding it.

gore: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 15 - 2 = 14 (miss), gore: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 15 - 2 = 18(miss)

Round 6: Yeen and Pent now acting.

Yeen does nothing, still uncertain of what Ami wants...and how Ami has gained so much weight.

Round 6, Init 7

Pent applauds Mahdi for the sparkly horseshoeing iron in the spokes of the gorgon getting away. "Blind bull! That's brilliant! Keeps it at bay, and boxes it in, for the beating we've been baited into bequeathing."

The gnome keeps up with the rest of the animate boys, hoping the gorgon's not long for the pocket world. Move if need be, delay for the spectacle.

Round 7: Mahdi, Aldebert, and Otah now acting.

Mahdi's gaze flits briefly to his... engoldened comrades, a thin line of worry on his face which is invisible to the others given his altitude. On the one hand, Ami being a block of gold strikes him as morbidly hilarious, but....

Well, focus on one thing at a time.

He chants shortly and sends bolts of raw arcane energy down into the ram.

Magic Missle: 5d4 + 5 ⇒ (2, 3, 3, 3, 3) + 5 = 19

Round: 7, Initiative: 29

Yeah, I didn’t know you couldn’t withdraw while blind either. I bet I’ve screwed that up a few times. Thanks Mahdi!

Aldebert 5’ steps to prepare a flank with Otah and continues to press his attacks. Knowing he’s already done some nonlethal damage, he lets loose with everything he’s got - but stops the moment the creatures slumps to unconsciousness… if it does.

Greatsword (magic): 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 11 + 2 = 25 (haste, BoF, paladin) damage: 1d10 + 13 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 13 - 1 = 21 (paladin)
Greatsword (magic): 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 2 = 14 (haste, BoF, paladin) damage: 1d10 + 13 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 13 - 1 = 18 (paladin)
Hasted Greatsword (magic): 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 11 + 2 = 19 (haste, BoF, paladin) damage: 1d10 + 13 - 1 ⇒ (3) + 13 - 1 = 15 (paladin)

He uses the Blessings of Fervor for a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

As it flinches at each tiny missile. The ram begins to show signs of panic after ten missiles, having previously tried to escape only to be met with its horns bluntly encountering resistance it is brought quickly to calm by one of the final series of missiles. The creature drops to the ground unconscious and heavily wounded.

Combat is over. Ram is unconscious and prone on the ground.

As soon as the great beast falls, Aldebert rushes to Mahdi, flying high above him. ”So, can you help him? Can you save Ami?!” he shouts upwards, breathlessly hoping for the best.

Pent applauds Mahdi's might with his missiles, largely ignorant of the psychoanalysis that would run rough shod all over the mage.

"So, we have a half of gold, as well as a gecko." The gnome looks back and forth between Mahdi and Gretiem, then Aldebert. "Aldi, you alright with us trying to hew the tail, and see if it regrows? I'd suggest we try and revert the lizard back to slimy. The half can keep. Even looks like Yeen is getting used to the extra weight. And we could use the peace and quiet."

"That peace and quiet would be broken by the grunting of lugging Ami around. Is there any way to get him back to normal?" The dwarf looks between the gnome and the fire mage.

"Weren't we tasked to kill this thing?"

"Take its horns. Those are the trophies you take from the animal, like deer antlers, owlbear beaks, elephant tusks, vrock talons, rhino horns, dragon penii... they can't be expecting us to drag that body all over the place. As for getting the half back to normal, there's not enough wisdom under Sarah's Sun that will see that done. Oh, wait. You're asking about turning him back to flesh. Alright. Suppose I could ask Sarah for the same energy to convert a petrified soul back from stone, see if that works. You sure you don't want to wait a while?"

Yeen remains airwalking (20' up) with Ami, unsure yet what to do.

Aldebert ignores Pent’s slights of his brother and instead latches on to his miraculous ability to heal. ”You can bring Ami back among us? Do it man, without delay!” he cries out. He seems worried that his brother cannot breathe, and so must be slowly suffocating.

He calls out to Yeen, and tries to get him to come to him.
Handle Animal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20 vs DC 10.

He presents his brother to Pent, and waits impatiently for assistance.

Mahdi floats down gently from above, his face drawn into frowning lines as he drifts down to Ami. He raps his knuckles on the golden halfling statue.

"...what do you think he weighs, anyway..."

Mahdi clears his throat and says more loudly, "Let me think if I know some way to fix this."

(Did Mahdi's Kn 36 earlier to identify the ram give him any idea of what might need be done to reverse this?)

"You can bring Ami back among us? Do it, man, without delay!"

Pent scritches at Ami's frozen face, amazed at the scarf also being turned to gold. "So, if the gorgon coughs, does it turn nearby items into gold, too? Does it conscientiously have to bellow its breath with special tincture? Incredible ability, that is." He remembers soon enough that there's a second half huffing, so turns to address him.

"Not sure, actually. This is gold, not stone. I'd have to ask Sarah to help, despite the difference of alloy. Come to think of it, I might be too specific in what I could request. I could enhance him in his current state, making it easier to hit someone with him. I could also ask Sarah to help me throw him better. Tossing halfs... heh. What else... oh, yeah, I could locate him better, now that he's an object and not a person at present. Oooo, oooo! I could reshape him into something else, like a gargoyle or a cannonball!! The possibilities are endless! Wait, no. Sarah would have to make an exception, because he's more metal than stone. Man, that's rough. Would be a lot easier if he were made of stone, come to think of it. Not like I could really shape him all that much, since I can't get more than an arm hole in stone doors... Hoo!! I can warp him!! We could turn him into a second saddle for Yeen!! What else? A metal muzzle? A constant hug from half to cat? So confusing for what we could do... Stone, metal, metal, stone..."

Yeen eventually comes to Aldeberts call. He is confused by the lack of response from Ami.

Aldebert tries to comfort Yeen when he does, at last, arrive to his call. He looks on helplessly while Pent is Pent. He wants to intrude several times during his narrative, but knows from past experience that to stop the flow will only complicate matters.

By the end though he's shifting his weight from one leg to another like he's in strong need of a pee.

"Don't figure out what to do with him in this form dear Pent, figure out how to change him back!" he says a little too loudly. He immediately looks guilty at his shouting, and hops to his other leg.

No additional saves are noted for this particular gorgon.

"Don't figure out what to do with him in this form dear Pent, figure out how to change him back!"

Watching Mahdi contemptiblating, Pent slows scrunches, before his face expands in revelation.

"I've got it!! We bring him to the turtle-note-senders. And the horns. Gotta bring those two for proof of death. Whoever created the ram, they'll know how to turn your brother back. Let's go. Where to?" The gnome pats his hands together, expectantly.

The dwarf looks over the "ram" while the brainy ones of the party decide Amiamble's fate.

He considers for a moment, and shrugs. "If we just need it's horns..." He'll set about trying to remove the horns without further harm to the beast's body... if possible.

He'll defer to anyone who has a better skill though!
Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Pent tilts his head as the dwarf speaks. When something in his mind confirms his first hearing of the words, he straightens his head, and proceeds to shake it of the irritation.

"Did you just say 'it's', Odie? I could have sworn you said 'it's', which itself is a contraction of the words 'it' and 'is', as opposed to the word 'its', free of the apostrophe that your dwarven tongue so sneakily tried to in'sert im'properly in'to your turn of phrase. There's a difference, dwarf! 'It's' and 'its'. The im'plosion of the a'postrophe is a reserved application, Odie. Were you trying to say 'If we just need it is horns...'? Because that sounds clunky, like you're using the language im'perfectly. 'If we just need its horns...' sounds so much smoother, you'd (you would) do better avoiding im'ploding more often. At least to my ears, which pain to hear a contraction when none is re:quired. Did you hear that one? I coloned my 'required'. It takes finesse, but you'll(you will) learn the nuances over time if you see the words in your head as you hear the words at your ears. Its an art."

The dwarf looks over his shoulder gnome, shakes his head, and sets back to work.

"The ones who taught us dwarves the common tongue said the apostrophe is used for something that belongs to a thing. Those are the ram's horns... or are they the rams horns?"

Just a note that on an out of character level, I'm not arguing with the grammar check. "It's" vs "Its" is an issue - No one in my youth told me the possessive use doesn't apply to "it" and I tend to forget while I write. So now Otah gets to vent my frustration with this particular nuance of the English language. ;)

The horns of the creature are quite solidly attached and do not come off. The rushed path of the party is easy to follow back in the direction of the beach.

Pent thinks for a moment. "Is the ram still living, then? Does it need to be dead-dead to undo the horns? You should dead it, then, see what happens when it no longer needs-needs its horns."

Totally razzing you, Otah. Pent's venting, too.

Unsure what to do, Yeen clomps after Aldebert. He remains confused.

Amiamble remains the very incarnation of a glorious golden battle halfling about to smite the enemies of Sarenrae.

The travel back to the beach is uneventful. With the sun approaching its zenith in the clear otherworldly sky the beach is getting quite warm. The ram is shows signs of recovering consciousness during the journey back to the beach.

Logistical matters. How are Ami and/or the ram transported?

Sorry, got hit by some food poisoning last night, meant to post sooner. Hwurg.

Mahdi ignores the bickering, rubbing at his forehead as he considers the issue of Ami and Gretiem.

"...I'm not sure how to fix Amiamble just now," he admits awkwardly to Aldebert. "I... Pent's words of a prayer may be handy. At the moment it's beyond me. I'm, ah, sorry."

Mahdi decides that under the circumstances he's going to be very gracious and not say anything along the lines of I warned you all.

What's Ami-the-statue weigh? I amused myself looking a possible answer to that up and it could be around 350-400 pounds, give or take. (Average halfling weight = 35 lbs x density of gold at 10.44 lbs). Can probably just load him onto the phantom chariot fine (the math is tedious but I estimate the chariot can carry about 1600 lbs, and it sounds like we're not carrying Gretiem since Aldebert can divine-bond-stash him elsewhere? So between a gnome, a human with no armor, a dwarf, and another halfling, we probably are still well short of that 1600 cap and can carry Ami fine. That said: I doubt we can take the ram with us, given a regular gorgon weighs about 4,000 pounds. Given that:

Mahdi comes to examine the horns and the giant unconscious beast.

Heal skill?: 1d20 ⇒ 7

"I have no idea how to remove these without killing the creature. I'm also somewhat unsure why you all seem dedicated to leaving it alive, at that. It's a noble idea but under the circumstances... Either way, would someone please hit it on the head again if you're not going to kill it, because it's waking up."

"Pay attention, Mahdi. I just told Odie to dead it. Watch and listen, as I do it again. Odie," Pent looks to the dwarf, back to the mage, nodding, and pointing at his eyes, ears, then to the eyes and ears of the mage, then back to the dwarf. "Why don't you dead it, and see if the ram still needs-needs its horns in the afterlife." The gnome looks back at the mage, bobbing his head in the classic 'alright then?' body language.

"Oh, did you say something? I was ignoring you," Mahdi responds absently to Pent.

Pent stares at Mahdi, wafting fumes of frustration dissipating with time. "So, not much different from the golden half, eh? At least he's got a reason to sit there with that blank look on his face." The gnome pictures various acts of desecration he'd inact on a golden Mahdi statue, which makes him feel all sorts of better. We just need to find another ram...

Aldebert shakes his head when it's clear Amiamble will not be saved this day. He's frustrated, but there's nothing for it. They fought, and his brother lost. For now anyway. He does as much of the lifting as he can to shift his brother onto the chariot.

"I don't think I can summon Gretiem in his current form, but I can try I suppose. If he's not 'dead' it might just work. But yeah, the horns are all we need from this beast."

"It's not an evil creature, so I wanted to hesitate before we slaughtered it out of hand, but then a cow isn't evil either, and I do like my steaks. I think we're meant to kill it to get out of here, so kill it we must."

He takes his greatsword and performs a coupe de grace - unless stopped by the others.

Greatsword damage: 2d10 + 26 ⇒ (1, 5) + 26 = 32

He then looks to sever the horns, or failing that, the head, so there's less to carry back at least.

Before departing, he walks up to Gretiem, and speaks to him briefly while patting him on his head, "We'll do what we can for you old fellow. You've been a good and mighty steed, and we'll correct this if it's possible my friend."

Turning back to the group, he's ready to head back to their camp.

The dwarf doesn't stop Aldebert from his coup-de-grace. He'd do it himself, but the halfling's sword seems a much better tool than his own hafted weapon.

"Perhaps Rayhan can help them?"

As Aldebert reaches for his sword the ram scrambles for the water. Instead of sinking it walks upon the water's surface.

Surprise round: Aldebert now acting.

Initiative
Mahdi: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13
Aldebert: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14
Pent: 1d20 ⇒ 1
Amiamble: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 (with Yeenoghu)
Otah: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Init
Ram Init 15
Yeen Init 14
Aldebert Init 14
Mahdi Init 13
Otah Init 8
Pent Init 1

Without any specifics concerning the ram being secured this is what I've gone with. The ram stands on the water off the shore thirty feet from sandy ground. The creature is 40 feet from Aldebert. Standard action, stand from prone. Standard move (40 ft.)

Round: 1, Initiative: 14

Aldebert watches as the golden ram rushes off onto some water. As he cannot reach it, he hopes the others can do something.

Lamely, he drops his greatsword (free), takes out his crossbow (move) and loads it (move).

As it's only been a few minutes at best, I'm assuming my mirror image (12 minute duration) is still going. How long did it take us to discuss our options and load my brother on the chariot?

Yeen, without direction, protects Ami for the combat. That is all he will do.

Please see discussion thread before moving forward.

Flash rewind.

As it flinches at each tiny missile. The ram begins to show signs of panic after ten missiles, having previously tried to escape only to be met with its horns bluntly encountering resistance it is brought quickly to calm by one of the final series of missiles. The creature drops to the ground unconscious and heavily wounded.

Combat is over. Ram is unconscious and prone on the ground.

Ami continues to shine like a glorious golden halfling god and Yeen will only come down when beckoned by Aldebert.

Pent watches the world suddenly whirl about them in a mixture of strange and confusing pastiches. He sees a ram on the water, then he sees a half with sword mid-air, then a statue of a mage and cat-rider side-by-side. He shakes his head, uncertain about what is real, and what is imagination. Kakishon is a strange place, indeed.

He looks over at Otah and Aldebert, both standing over the ram's fallen, unconscious, definitely still unconscious form. Seeing the dwarf struggle to remove the horns from a huge golden creature, he hears himself say words he thought he'd said times before. He only hopes that this time, his words are weighed, and found satisfactory.

"Why don't you dead it, and see if the ram still needs-needs its horns in the afterlife."

As his eyes clear, he again coupe de grace's the poor golden ram and takes the head with them back to the beach, leaving the body for the carrion creatures to enjoy.

It doesn't feel right to him, but he can think of no other way forward. He is quiet as the group makes their way back to the hut.

When they arrive, he'll try to summon Gretiem outside so he's at least with them.

Regardless of whether or not Gretiem appears, once he secures his brother off the chariot and into the sand (facing the sun if at all possible), he calls out to Rayhan, ”Rayhan! I don’t suppose you have any spells to turn gold into flesh - do you?” He approaches the hut and looks for the wizard.

The ram's body dissipates into a pile of golden dust, leaving behind seven golden armor plates and two curled ram’s horns. The seven armor plates each bear an etching on its surface— each plate is about a foot square and weighs about three pounds.

The return to the hut has not occurred yet. I will catch up to Aldebert's inquiries once action after the results of killing the ram are responded to by others.

Pent hoots as the ram becomes dust. "Look at that! That entire body was nothing but plates and powder!!"

Figuring the half or the mage or the dwarf would be interested in the plates, Pent contents himself with the golden dust. He grabs a handful, then pulls his waistband free of his belly, and proceeds to sprinkle the glitter down his frontside. He wipes his hand on his rump, holding his britches free and clear for a moment, while the gnome optimizes the sunlight where the sun don't normally shine. "Magnificent. Golden marbles and a golden mast. You could mistake it for a shillelagh."

He snaps his pants tight, reaching down to grab more gold. This time, he glitters his beard conservatively along the edges. When the others ready to leave, heading to the beach, he walks carefully, not wanting to lose too much along the way.

Spellcraft v DC 20: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

He awaits Rayhan's answer in restoring the goldens to normal. When it seems appropriate, he steps in with his own question. "Now, if you're able, can reverse the reverse? Well, more specifically, can you turn flesh to gold, or at least goldsheen? It would have to be flexible metal, you know, so that it could act like a set of windchimes when you walk."

Mahdi nods in satisfaction at the delivering of the killing blow-- unfortunate but necessary-- and then arches a brow at the dust, the plates, and the horns. "Hmm, what have we here..."

Making a face and avoiding Pent's.... doings... Mahdi studies the plates intensely. (Take 10 on the Spellcraft for 27)

"Ha! Fascinating. These are like giant... cumbersome... scrolls. This first one, if cast, acts similar to freedom of movement. Useful, very useful."

Mahdi hurriedly looks over the others, face alight with the greed for knowledge.

(Taking 10 on the other six plates since we're out of combat.)

After he's finished excitedly cataloging the finds and loading them into the chariot, Mahdi sobers up somewhat remembering Ami's situation. "Yes, alright, let's get him back onto the chariot..."

He lets the others do most of the actual heavy lifting that requires, however. "Fortunate it was someone your size and not myself or Otah," he remarks absently, and tactlessly, to Aldebert. "We'd be rather heavier."

Mahdi resumes a driver's position at the chariot and heads back when all are ready.

The tall grasses blow about gently in the wind. Little larger than a field mouse seems to be about. With the silencing of the ruckus ram it is clear how the pursuit has scared off what every would normally be about in the pristine though strange landscape. The quiet leave Mahdi plenty of time to ponder over each plate.

Once everyone is ready and the ram remains are loaded along with the statuesque halfling the chariot make quick travel back to the beach. With Otah's help Mahdi is easily able to steer the chariot in the right direction.

It takes seven mins for Mahdi to discern the purpose of the armor plates. About an equal about of time to get the ram remains and Ami loaded aboard. Unless further study is pursued the PCs will be on the chariot and back to the beach in another ten mins (just under a half an hour).

Aldebert upon arrival.
Regardless of whether or not Gretiem appears, once he secures his brother off the chariot and into the sand (facing the sun if at all possible), he calls out to Rayhan, ”Rayhan! I don’t suppose you have any spells to turn gold into flesh - do you?” He approaches the hut and looks for the wizard.

Rayhan sadly responds to Aldebert, "I'm sorry my friend. Normally what you ask would be a small matter of returning to my library. In my excitement to unravel the scroll I brought only the spellbook I have been preparing during my studies of the artifact. It contains no such spells that might serve such ends."

Pent waits for Mahdi to finish looking over the horns with his cursory and fleeting attentions. When one or both horns fall into neglect, the gnome picks up one or both, and tries to sound the one that's meant to be sounded, leaving the other horn for the trophy it was promised to be.

Aldebert gathers up what dust Pent leaves behind as well as the plates and horns. He loads them in the bag of holding Mahdi carries so nothing is left behind. ”Clearly not a normal ram.” he mutters.

Later, when the group returns to the beach, Aldebert tries to summon Gretiem, and it fails. He looks sorrowfully at the group and shrugs his shoulders, ”He’s gone too I guess.”

Rayhan sadly responds to Aldebert, " "I'm sorry my friend. Normally what you ask would be a small matter of returning to my library. In my excitement to unravel the scroll I brought only the spellbook I have been preparing during my studies of the artifact. It contains no such spells that might serve such ends."

He looks to his brother, gleaming in the sun, ”My loss is complete then.” He stands there thinking a while when…

Pent waits for Mahdi to finish looking over the horns with his cursory and fleeting attentions. When one or both horns fall into neglect, the gnome picks up one or both, and tries to sound the one that's meant to be sounded, leaving the other horn for the trophy it was promised to be.

The sudden, loud tone startles him out of his contemplation. He draws his Greatsword and stands by his brother, watching for a boatman but wary for whatever comes.

Pent easily notices that only one of the horns looks to have come away from the ram in a way that makes it easy to blow. The sound is heard. Beyond the horizon straight out from the stone hut a shape can be seen. As it nears it is clear that the shape is a boat of some kind. Just as the craft is close enough to make out figures on its deck a large turtle emerges from the deep - attacking the craft. Though the craft is initially damaged by the creature it seems to vanish before the breaks in its hull would cause it to sink. The turtle submerges in a flapping fit of frustration.

Aldebert looses it when he sees the turtle attack the boat.

He wades into the water and slaps and slashes the waves with his sword, "Come here and fight you lout! Leave our boat alone!"

He continues to yell and curse at the submerging turtle until it's well out of sight.

He turns to the party, face red with fury, "Seems we must best this damn turtle before we're to be free of this place. I can't swim in this armor, sink like a stone I do, but that turtle may also rest on the bottom. Yet I have not the means to breathe underwater... do any of you?!" he shouts by the end in his anger, shaking the water from his sword.