Surprise Round
Sneak Damage against flat-footed foe
Initiative:
Attack: For:
1st Round
Attack: For:
"Come on. We take her down, the bones should go down also."
Hey just checking in and in case you ever make it back, I am still here. Send me a PM or simply just lay down a post and I'll come a runnin.
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You deftly sprint past the rusty scimitar held out by the first skeleton and quickly score a pair of hits on the aged crone.
Aerys steps up and tries to plant a fist through the skull of the leering skeleton.
,
Aerys puts just enough force into her blow for the skeleton down hard, and Sasha runs up beside her, giving the toppled bones a good kick and wrenching free a club-sized femur from the pile. "Swords aren't going to work on these!"
The skeleton closest to you also strikes out, attempting to cut you down.
,
The other skeletons are unable to find position, and hold in place for a moment, waiting for the chance to rush forward.
Jask steps up, raises high his holy symbol to Nethys, and a burst of energy washes forth over the gathered skeletons.
Two of the three remaining skeletons seem to only slightly shudder when the wave of Jask's energy washes over them, but the dark energy binding the third together unravels, and it collapses in a heap of bone and sinew.
The old woman grimaces further at the wounds you have inflicted upon her, and prods at you with a wicked-looking wand.
The wand just comes short of poking you in the chest, and you see a bit of darkness at the tip fizzle black and purple before dissipating. She curses and lurches backwards, allowing the skeleton to her left to take up her spot and strike at you.
,
I move around the skeleton to the witch. Tumbling as I go to avoid AoO
Acrobatics:
Attack: For: "Your evil is at an end hag."
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The skeletons each take a swipe at you as your attempt to tumble becomes more of a stumble...
...each slashing into you with a scimitar.
Your sword cuts into the crone, who curses at you again.
Aerys steps up to flank one of the skeletons and deliver a crushing blow with her fist...
...but manages only to overcompensate while the skeleton turns to pursue you.
The two skeletons continue to press their assault against you, as you threaten their mistress...
...but only one is able to land a blow.
Sasha steps up with her makeshift club and tries to bash one of the skeletons...
...however her swing, too, goes wide.
Jask advances and uses one of his last abilities to channel the energy of his god against the skeletons...
...and the positive blast completely undoes the two remaining skeletons, who collapse in piles of bones and dust.
The crone shrieks at the loss of her allies and flies into a rage, stabbing again at you with her wicked wand...
...and when the wand prods you in the chest, sapping your health, and appearing to flow into the old woman.
'Aeyrs, get on the other side and we'll take her down. Sasha you and Jask flank her from the other sides!
I position myself opposite of Aeyrs with a five foot maneuver. I ready an action to stab when Aeyrs moves into position giving me the flank bonus.
When she is in position I attack.: For:
Aerys hops forward...
,
and slams a heavy fist into the old woman, just before your sword cuts into her as well, but she is just barely managing to stay upright.
Sasha also runs forward and attempts to slam her with the femur she plucked from the skeleton...
,
...but the weapon is so poorly balanced that it swings wide.
Jask cannot get at her from his current position, and cannot channel energy to heal to heal you without also healing the crone.
The crone, knowing that she is surrounded, turns toward you and attempts once more to drain life from you...
...but fails horribly and curses you, knowing that her last breath is near!
Seeing her fail and her clear panic I announce. "This is it! Finish her!"
I attack: For:
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Success! Your sword slams home and the old woman cries out in agony. You hear a nearby shriek as a small - yet viscious looking - monkey darts forward to huddle into and among her robes, hissing at you and your allies.
The others sigh in relief after she falls. Sasha looks warily at the monkey, but is still catching her breath. You see that the path winds around to the west, where you can see the faint light of a fire flickering out of the doorway of a small shack.
Jask calls out, "A tactic I would not recommend again, Aaron! You are nearly dead, and it will be difficult to keep you alive if you are on the other side of our foes!"
Panting hard and dropping to one knee from injuries I stare at the body of the old....thing. "Sorry. I had forgotten how easily you could put down those skeletons. Lesson well learned....ow." I force myself to my feet and look over the dead woman for anything of use.
Once I complete that I turn to Aeyrs. "I'm going to check out the shack, can you cover me?" If she agrees I will proceed to investigate the shack with my guard up. I look though for threats first then anything else of value.
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Nothing threatens your approach (though the monkey does howl at you for a while). You enter the east room of the shack, only ten feet to a side. It is a workshop of sorts, smelling of all manner of alchemical creations and rudimentary cures mashed together for use by the tribe.
Among the rubble, you search long enough toxins eleven vials of various sorts, two smokestacks, a cobalt blue stone (looks man made), and three small pouches that you think you have seen before - tanglefoot bags, perhaps.
There is a door in the west wall, appearing (from the outside of the building) to lead to a larger room.
We yoink anything of value we find in this shack. Afterwards I will face the group. "Okay, if we have this place secure, then I propose we head back to the beach we left the others and gather them. This place is good shelter if nothing else and the lighthouse will provide us a good defensive structure not to mention we could use it to signal a passing ship to aid us once I get it repaired. So we bring the other survivors here and stake out until rescue comes to us....or I build a boat, whichever happens first. Are there any objections or further advice?" I look to the others hoping for some form on confirmation or imput.
The others agree, but look quite weary. Sasha pipes up, "After that fall down the hole, I'll be ready in the morning."
Jask begins taking a look at the various vials you found in the shack in an attempt to identify them, but soon shakes his head. "These three are antitoxins, and will be excellent to have on hand. This is a thunderstone, which makes quite a lot of noise. Best be careful with that! The other eight vials will need to wait until the morning. However, let us also check that old crone. She may have additional items of value on her person. Aerys, will you help me?"
Aerys nods, but first prods open the door to the other room... Before quickly slamming it shut. "Gods, the smell... We're sleepin' somewhere else!"
They go to the crone, chase off the monkey, but only find the cruel looking wand that she used to prod you. Jask holds onto it for further study.
"The lighthouse seemed the most decent place to rest. Clean it up a little a we have some sturdy walls. I think I also saw somw pillows though I hesitate to put my head on them without cleaning them first. At any rate. I am all for rest and that seems as good a place as any."
After we pick through the stuff I imagine everyone is a bit tired. Sasha fell out of a building after all and I am horribly wounded. I investigate the rooms in the light house to find the best one for us to rest for the night.
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You all slowly make your way back to the lighthouse. Aerys leads back up to the second level at first, but the smell of the carnage is a bit too much.
"Well, these are going to have to go," Sasha says. "We could drop them down the hole out there. Strip 'em of their stuff first?"
Jask shrugs at first, but steps up to help. "If this is the most secure location, then it will likely work best. This is grim work, but they would have done little better to us."
You all work together, though stripping the cannibals of their possessions takes some time. From the dozen cannibals, you find on each a light wooden shield, three javelins, a shoddy scimitar ("I can fix those up," Jask offers), and each wears a red pearl amulet. Klorak, besides his excellent scimitar, carried a heavy wooden shield, five javelins, and a very large red pearl amulet.
It takes a couple hours, but well before daylight you are able to finally clear out a clean space, reinforce the door, and set a watch. Jask expends a final spell to pass some healing on to you (), the gives a sigh. "I have not been this drained in some time! I shall sleep well this night... After my watch, of course!"
Each watch passes without event, though Jask reports that during the first watch he is fairly certain he heard the sound of scrabbling, crunching, and running feet. Jask shudders for a moment, "I'll say no more. Suffice to say that it took many prayers to Nethys to block out those sounds and get good rest. Let us be away."
After we settlel I pull out the land map. " I'd like us to head straight north. I wanna continue to explore the island as much as possible and it would be best to simply just head back a different way. Who knows what we will encounter. I want to avoid surprise as much as possible. So tomorrow we take the north route and on our way back we should take the path not yet explored. Then we shall see what treasure we can collect and supplies we can make use of. Who know, we may even find a seaworthy vessel. Worth the investigation in my opinion. You all okay with that?"
Once I have a say from everyone, yes or no, I retire for the night and ready my things in the morning for the trip back.
So yeah the plan is to finish exploring the west side of this island and the follow the west coast back to the Jenevere. I would like to uncover as much as possible you know. Who knows what else is on this island....besides you and others who have run or played this app. Still trying to figure out a way to check on those north islands that the NPCs will agree with. You know my climb skill so I leave the trip in your capable GM hands. Can't wait to see if we find anything. I also need to take a tally on what loot we have at some point case we get to sell it.
Day 8
After you are all awake, Jask gathers you together and intones many successive prayers to Nethys while holding up his holy symbol. Four waves of healing energy burst forth to heal your wounds.
Jask then spends an hour in focused meditation, and Aerys and Sasha spend the time doing a combination of stretching, running, and otherwise working the previous evening's knots and wounds out of their systems.
The four of you secure many of treasures you have collected on the upper level of the lighthouse, piling them together and covering the lot with a blanket that used to belong to Klorak, or so Aerys has chosen to call him after the combat the previous evening. You then set out for back up the path, avoiding the large Shiv Dragon that is leashed to a tree on the path, and make your way back north to the last fork in the road.
The others are a little wary of doing other than heading back for the remaining castaways, but are convinced to follow the path where it leads. After an hour's travel...
... And thankfully you are able to spot another snare before Aerys steps into it.
The path winds northwest, and after leaving the lighthouse over three hours later, it ends at a beach. The waves are breaking against a reef a score of yards from the shore, creating a protected area of slightly calmer waters here.Half a mile to the southwest, along the shore, you see the remains of a shipwreck. A mile and a half north, another, and beyond it, the isle that appears to be shrouded in dense fog.
Here on the beach are the discarded remains of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of oyster shells. Sasha picks one up, studies it, then says, "Pried open. Wild animals can bash 'em, but looks like the cannibals did this." She walks up to the water's edge and, looking down, calls out, "There's a whole mess of 'em down there. Must be where the cannibals got those crazy red pearl pendants."
Jask looks around, then to you. "Where now? Recall also the great tree that is south of here. Even in the Expanse, such sights are rare. It was atop the rise as we first approached the lighthouse, but unreachable from when we first saw it. We should be able to get there from here, though it would take us through the jungle. If we are not to immediately go back to the others, who knows what we might find.
Aerys looks down the shore. "If south, then I suppose I'd like to check out that shipwreck first. Never know what might be there."
I look at the shipwreck. "I agree with Aeyrs. Every shipwreck could be a possible supply cache or any easy way off. Let's check it out." We make our way to the wreck.
10th of Arodus - Just before midday
It takes roughly an hour to get across the sandy beach to the wreck on the shore, which you now identify as the Bloodwalker. There is a rope ladder leading over the rail down to the beach making it easy to approach the main deck. You can see several sizable gashes in the side of the ship - it won't be going anywhere soon.
The heat of the day is beginning to return , and soon it will be too hot to do more than sit in the shade. "Perhaps it will be cooler inside," Jask offers, "Or there may be some tarp that we could set up out here to make shade and enjoy the breeze."
Too the ship, I lead followed by Jask, Sasha, then Aerys will have the rear.
10th of Arodus - Midday
You quickly scale the rope ladder, and the others follow up behind you. The skeletal remains of many crew members litter the deck. It is not until the four of you have all landed safely on deck when you notice a stirring that is not the wind... six skeletons stand and brandish claws and fangs to attack!
The skeletons slowly pick their way towards you, but they are hampered by all the bones on the deck.
However, this gives Jask the opportunity to stand tall, raise his holy symbol, and speak a word of power to Nethys, catching the four closest skeletons.
Though three of the four just shudder instead of exploding outright, they too shake apart under the holy strain.
"Nice work Jask! We'll try and make quick work of the rest of them so you won't have to use that ability up."
I move in or stay put, not sure if the skeletons are still in the same places on the map they appear to be, to the closest bone janggle and attack. For: Slashing. Times like these I wish I had a stick for back up.
HOLY CRAP! You are S&S GM? Wow I applied for that game too. Is the crew you picked a fun one?....Almost afraid to ask but am I fun at all? *bites nails*
Hah, whoops. That's what happens when you use the wrong browser (multiple forum accounts).
Yes, saw your application, sorry for not picking, but knew you were already in another game. It's going ok, one guy is a little sparse in his posts. Otherwise they are good.
Yes, you are fun to play through this AP. it's fun to run both, gives me a perspective for running a game for 1 vs a game for 4. Still think I like the game for 1 better, but am asking my folks in the other game to keep to a tweet length of post.
This gives me the chance to write slightly longer things, and as I have all of the SS AP, I know a bit more about where this is going.
Sorry for the next post delay, will get you something this evening.
10th of Arodus - Midday
Aerys picks a couple steps forward and readies her fists against the upcoming skeletons.
Sasha reaches down and tears a chunk of rotting wood from the rail, then steps forward to meet the remaining skeletons
The skeletons work their way forward, one heading straight for Aerys and Sasha, and Aerys strikes out hard...
...and her fist obliterates its skull.
Jask acknowledges your request to hold back, and does nothing at this time.
If I can get to it, I will move to attack the remaining skeleton. If I use the flat of my blade does that count as blunt damage?
I am going to try. Feel free to apply any deductions as you see fit.
Attack: For:
If somehow I can get into flank with someone I would try for it even if it were to provoke. +2 to my hit an add to damage.
10th of Arodus - Midday
Unfortunately, even attempting to bludgeon with your sword does not quite work.
Aerys picks a couple steps forward past Sasha and tries to double down on your idea...
...however she trips at the last second and nearly goes sprawling on the bone littered deck.
Sasha steps up with her makeshift club...
...but does just as poorly.
The remaining skeleton takes a swipe at you with its 2 claws...
It manages to catch you with one for a pretty deep scratch.
Jask calls out, "Do you need my assistance?" Otherwise, he holds.
I curse as I take the hit. Looking back to Jask for a moment I call out, "Got a club? You could come bash these things with us. I'll let you use your judgement on using the burst you do. Just don't use too much in case we need it later."
If possible, I step to flank with one of the two girls on the thing.
Attack: For:
"On Second thought, we don't need you to burst Jask.
Confirm Crit: For additional:
The blow lands solid, and the skeleton is leveraged apart to a mass of bones on the deck.
Jask looks at your wounds, then applies a hand to your shoulder and speaks a word of power.
A search turns up no more skeletons, but in the captain's cabin you do find a small leather satchel with four vials inside. Three have green wax over the stopper, and one has a red wax seal. Jask looks at them, intones a word, then shakes his head. "They are alchemical, not magical, but likely quite helpful."
Sasha steps up, "Most of the rest is rotten through, no food stores to speak of. We wait put the heat here, then where?"
I nod to Jask, Thanks for the healing. I learned a new lesson today. Don't let skeletons scratch you. It hurts."
After examining the ship and collecting the vials I nod to the others. "Okay lets find a shady spot and get some rest. Once the heat passes I want to see that tree. Who know what other neat things we will find on this island." It would be obvious to the others that I seem exhilarated from all the tough battles we have won over the past couple of days
You spend two hours resting in the shade of the wreck. Jask spends the time attempting to identify the various vials he picked up from the Witch's hut yesterday.
The heat must be getting to him a bit, as Jask states, "I can only definitively identify 4 of the 8 potions. 2 cure wounds, though mildly, and 2 will restore your health - again, mildly. I believe the other 4 will cure wounds, but I am not sure. It would be an unsafe conjecture. The wand," he sneers at it, "is clearly of vampiric properties, but I cannot discern the command phrase for it today. I can tell that I am close, but until then it is useless to us."
As you recline in the shade, Sasha pipes up, "So, we've a bit of spoils now from our combing of this isle, Aaron. What say you? Do you have a plan for your share?"
I ponder for a moment. I reach into my pack and pull out the model of the Jenivere out and look it over with an appraisal. I nod. "I'm going to build my own ship. It will cost a bit money but with the spoils I am sure to make it. Then the next thing will be to sail it. I do not plan on being captain, no no, I'm not a people person like that. I just want to be an honest sailor and shipwright working aboard the ship I built. I will find a good crew to care for it. Well that's what I had in mind. I dunno, maybe I will wander for a bit, but I do plan on returning to the sea soon, it is where I belong." I sit there with a dreamy far off look in my eye as I hold the model.
Aerys nods in agreement. "We share a dream. I have not sailed long, and this last voyage - though marred by our present surroundings - was thrilling enough. You should join me in Eleder in seeking out my...friend, Kassata. She and hers are always looking for good sailors and shipwrights."
I look at Aerys with interest. "Really? Huh, well it would be nice to find a new crew. I like that you and I seem to be very like minded. I must say I have grown quite fond of you since our time spent on this island. I think I will join you in Eleder after all."
I look out from the shade. "In the meantime I do not expect to leave this island without at least seeing everything it has to offer. Aside from the occasional storm, this is actually the most excitement I have ever had on a voyage. I'd like to be able to visit and explore more islands like this.....…so long as the captain doesn't go insane and sink the whole ship again." A solemn expression creeps across my face. "Still can't swallow what he did to us. That was just cruel. Never would I have imagined a good man like him doing anything that aweful. All those good men, and us if not for first mate." I sit there obviously slightly traumatized by what had happened to the sJanivere. I sit there hugging my legs in like a frightened child.