"I...say we head around this plant, what do you say? Surely whatever's under that thing ain't worth tha trouble..." Vik whispers to the group quietly, dropping her cutlass to the ground and quietly drawing her rapier.
The glint of metal reflects in Reijo's grinning eyes as he takes a step forward. But his greed is not so strong as to render him entirely foolish. He halts in his tracks, his eyes narrowing in to focus on the threatening nature of those vines.
With cutlass in hand, and ignoring Vik's sound advice, the greedy sailor readies himself to swiftly chop the vines with his cutlass before they have a chance to react. Unless someone convinces him otherwise, he begins to stealthily move in, his gaze fixated on those peculiar vines...
Ol' Salty lets everyone know about the plant and the leaf rays. "Oi! This be a very, very bad sign. Not only be this an assassin vine, it also has leaf ray buds on it. Everyone get back. It can animate the nearby jungle to strangle ye. The leaf rays be poisonous too. And yes, it can move."
Reijo halts in place with Ol' Salty's words. Looking around at the falling leaves, he wonders which might be these "poisonous leaf rays" the old man speaks of, and begins to cautiously seek to swat or slice any that come too close to him for comfort before they have a chance to latch on to him.
"Aye," he says with a mad grimace upon his face. "Let's get outta this place smartly, then."
Reijo spots it right as Salty calls it out: a vine, larger than the others and moving just ever so slightly. He freezes, but perhaps a moment too late.
As though it could understand (or perhaps just upset someone was chopping at its ingenious camouflage), the hostile vine starts to creep forward. It is slow, but there is no doubt it has set its sights on Reijo, who stands only a half-dozen feet from the creature as he begins to slowly backpedal.
Swatting at the leaves, Reijo sees no sign of any of these dangerous leaf rays. The ones he cuts, at least, appear to be nothing more than normal leaves. But it would be difficult, if not impossible, to spot them out of the jungle's canopy before they started dropping from the trees in droves...
Immediately starts casting Summon Monster I to summon a Celestial Dire Rat.
Suny draws the long, slim, delicate and over all large blade from its sheath across her back.
"Okeys, we's gon'a be tossin' salad..." She shifts into a more defensive stance and gets ready to swing at aggressive foliage.
"Told ya so...Besmara be with us." Vik whispers before raging and taking a shot at the vine.
Cursing under his breath, the pirate cautiously steps back. Drawing a small flask from his pouch, he swings his cutlass at the next vine that even tries to come near him.
Vine 23/30
Ray1 15/15
Ray2 15/15
Ray3 15/15
Ray4 15/15
Ray5 15/15
Ray6 15/15
Ray7 15/15
;.;
Here, on the isle named for her Goddess, Viktorra wastes no time invoking Besmara's wrath and planting a bullet in the 'head' of the vine. Meanwhile, Bellamy begins the necessary incantations to summon a bit of celestial help of his own.
As chunks of green fall away from the new hole in the thing, it twists and contorts and it is only then you realize just how very, very large it is as the whole pile of decay starts to shift...
Well, all of you except perhaps Reijo, who is standing mere feet from the thing as it creeps closer and lashes out at him. It is all he can do to beat away the vine with his blade, barely managing to scratch the thing--but avoiding its grasping tendrils all the same.
That doesn't stop the rest of the jungle from suddenly writhing to life and tightening about your ankles. Branches hang in closer, and suddenly the jungle doesn't seem quite as easy to escape...
Round 1 Part 2
Making salad.
Initial Round:
Next Round:
*Swish, slash*
Ol' Salty calls upon the remaining portion of his most powerful magic, summoning a great big wall of wind. He positions it behind the plant, but before the leaf rays, in order to prevent them from flying right at Reijo.
Unhindered by the plant growth filling the area, Vik moves to engage the vine in melee, giving it her best...poke?
Bellamy cast Shield of Faith (AC now 20) while his Celestial Dire Rat scuttled up to 40' forward to attack.
for a possible damage plus possible disease.
Undaunted by the twisting branches and vines, Reijo hacks at the mass of vines with his cutlass. Landing a powerful hack, one of the more massive and groping vines drops immediately to the ground. In futility, the detached branch convulses in the grassy soil.
Fearing the groping plants would interfere with him aim, however, he replaces the flask back into his pouch while carefully stepping back through the tangling verdancy. He reaches now for his axe...
Vine 15/30
Ray1 15/15
Ray2 15/15
Ray3 15/15
Ray4 15/15
Ray5 15/15
Ray6 15/15
Ray7 15/15
As Suny steps up to Reijo's side, Ol' Salty sends up a wave of wind before the two of them. The roaring of the wind wall before them tears through the lowest branches of the trees and sends loose leaves away as though caught in a hurricane.
Even with the sudden windstorm, the vine lashes out in anger at Suny--who nimbly dodges it and hacks off a good piece with her curved elven blade.
Though the vine looks like it may have seen better days, a number of large, flat leaves drop from the canopy of the jungle. Gliding along on leafy wings with a 'face' that looks something like a tiny green catfish, seven leaf rays zip towards the edges of the wind curtain, gliding on the weakest of its currents like true professionals. Most of them (there are two stragglers who fail to make the turn) manage to make it to either end of the wall, dance on the current and perform a 180 degree turn, and begin to swoop down towards the group...
Round 2 Start
Bellamy starts belting out a ribald sea shanty to inspire Courage in his teammates.
bardic performance (inspire courage +1; bonus to hit and damage)
Vine -1/30
Ray1 15/15
Ray2 15/15
Ray3 15/15
Ray4 15/15
Ray5 15/15
Ray6 15/15
Ray7 15/15
Still imbued with the vigor of Besmara, Viktorra wades through the grasping jungle with ease. With a quick thrust from her rapier, she puts yet another hole in the vine. Thick green ichor leaks from its wounds, but the vine seems entirely unabated by its injuries.
Bellamy, still far enough from the grasping vines to finish his cast without issue, brings a celestial dire rat into being from the heavens above. It scampers through the jungle--apparently at home in the mess--and leaps to attack the vine. Despite its gnashing teeth, the vine's thick stem resists. Perhaps a natural defense against herbivores that might wish to snack on it. Cautious, Bellamy finishes another quick spell--shielding himself--and begins belting out a great performance for his friends.
Reijo, now flanked by the flashing steel of Viktorra and Suny, lunges forward to deal the final blow to the assassin vine. Hacking through the thickest limb with his cutlass, the vine gives one final, impotent grab for Reijo's midsection. It curls partway around the pirate's waist before falling entirely limp along the jungle floor. Even in its death, though, the jungle itself remains driven to life by whatever strange powers the vine possessed. The brush and branches grasp at you, unwilling to let you escape the rustle of leaf rays ready to bear down on you...
Round 2 part 2--
Suny turns her blade on its 'side' and swats at the flying foliage,
"Bad leafs! Naughty LEAFS!" She scolds the flitting green shapes.
Round 1: Nhati decides that this would be a good time to take out her lesser Extend metamagic rod and cast Mage Armor on herself.
Tai squawks and flies high up into the trees to avoid anything dangerous.
Round 2: Nhati sees the flying leaf-things coming around the wind wall towards us. She speaks some arcane words, and three greenish bolts of arcane force shoot out from her arcane fingers, splaying towards three of the leaf things.
Vine -1/30
Ray1 15/15
Ray2 15/15
Ray3 10/15 (6 nl)
Ray4 11/15
Ray5 15/15
Ray6 15/15
Ray7 [The lost ray] 13/15
1-2 Reijo, 3-4 Suny, 5-6 Vik
Suny raises her blade and waits for the rays to finish their approach, even as the jungle continues to crawl about her feet. The rays loop around the wind wall and swoop down towards the group...
One of the rays continues its long, looping arc around towards the back of the group, while the other six finish their 180-degree turn and bee line it towards the nearest prey--Reijo, Suny, and Viktorra. Even as Suny smacks one of the rays attacking her, it manages to sink its stinger deep into her arm... along with the one just behind it. Viktorra almost suffers the same fate, but her image fools the ray just well enough. It fades to nothing as the ray's tail whips past her face. The rays begin an upward glide after their strike, and it looks like they're about to turn around and make another pass...
No slouch at the far end of the group, Nhati finishes her magical preparations and unleashes a barrage of arcane energy at the escaping rays. Spreading the love around, she focuses fire on the two rays that struck Suny... and the one headed her way!
Round 3--
Round 2: Ol' Salty uses his Mist's Shroud ability on Reijo, using Lil' Fisher as the toucher.
Round 3: Ol' Salty prepares a spell against the largest amount of leaf rays possible. When they come down again, he casts Gust of Wind.
Suny raises her blade and waits for the rays to finish their approach, even as the jungle continues to crawl about her feet. The rays loop around the wind wall and swoop down towards the group...
Even as Suny smacks one of the rays attacking her, it manages to sink its stinger deep into her arm... along with the one just behind it.
"OWIE!" Sunny exclaims as the green critters sting and flit away.
Though possibly a little woozy from the jab she turns and tries to keep the little varmints in sight, warding them off with her sword.
Reijo swats at one of the leaf rays as it comes too close for comfort, slicing cleanly through it.
He swings again as the next one comes near, slicing through it as well. He then brings out the axe for even more leaf-punishing potential.
Bellamy starts another summoning spell while keeping up his Bard performance to inspire courage (+1).
for a possible damage plus possible disease.
Suny giggles, slightly distracted as the cute and furry critter dances around in the underbrush.
Vik strikes out at the...things...as they move away from her.
When she sees that they moved away, Vik will quickly reload her pistol with an alchemical cartridge, and take a shot at the nearest one.
Vine -1/30
Ray1 (grounded) 1/15
Ray2 (grounded) 15/15
Ray3 (canopy) 10/15 (6 nl)
Ray4 (canopy) 11/15
Ray5 (grounded) 4/15
Ray6 (canopy) 15/15
Ray7 [The lost ray--near Nhati] 13/15
1-2 Reijo 3-4 Suny 5-6 Vik
WOW OKAY
7 Nhati
As the rays whip back towards the canopy, both Viktorra and Reijo hack two to bits with a quick slash. The injured rays continued to pull away as Viktorra reaches for a cartridge to load her gun with. But in taking aim to finish the deed... her gun blasts only an angry growl and a puff of choking black smoke in her face.
As the group readies to attack the rays on their way back down, three of the rays loops out and around below the canopy in a long arc to find new victims to sting. Only three make a rather impressive loop-the-loop and head back for the same people they'd hit before. Ol' Salty, quicker on his feet than his age would belie, sends a sudden gust of wind barreling through them. All three leaves catch the breeze full force, careening out of control and landing scattered around in the (still entangly) jungle brush. They scramble to right themselves, but are clearly confused by the sudden change in wind currents.
Fortunately, this doesn't stop Reijo from planting his sword into the nearest of the rays. It squirms away just enough on its stinger-like tail to avoid death, but Reijo hacks off another chunk of salad. Bellamy's dire rat makes for the nearest to it, but gets caught up in the grasping roots and finds itself unable to chew through any leaves.
Meanwhile, the last of the leaf rays finishes its long spiral down towards Nhati. The extra layer of magical protection pays off in dividends, protecting from the strike. The ray glides up another 10 feet, looking to spiral back around later.
Round 3/4--
Nhati repeats the arcane words she said moments ago, splaying out her fingers and sending three greenish bolts of magical force towards three of the flying rays (including the one that hit her).
"Ahh, I'll have to get around to fixing that."
Dropping the jammed pistol, Vik rushes forward to the next ray thingy and takes another swing at it.
"Can someone tell me what these things are, exactly...?"
"Intelligent plants!" yells Ol' Salty amidst the howling wind. "The lil' buggers got a paralysing sting and caneven implant seeds within ye! Very dangerous teh find on yer own!"
Ol' Salty will hold a charge of Shocking Touch to attack any leaf ray that comes within melee range.
Vine -1/30
Ray1 (grounded) 1/15
Ray2 (grounded) dead
Ray3 (canopy) 7/15 (6 nl)
Ray4 (canopy) 7/15
Ray5 (grounded) 4/15
Ray6 (canopy) 15/15
Ray7 [The lost ray--near Nhati] 11/15
Nhati lets loose a barrage of arcane energy after the ray that struck her, searing holes of magic through their once pristine leafy-green forms. The rays stagger in the air, but keep to the skies.
Viktorra tosses her still-smoldering gun aside, letting the jungle have its way with it. With blade back in hand, she strides up to the nearest of the fallen rays and plants her blade into the 'face' of the ray. It squirms beneath her rapier for only a moment before falling to complete stillness.
Ol' Salty readies himself to zap a leaf ray out of the air as it approaches, but the very winds that have aided him so much turn to blow his ragged gray hair over his eyes. But such was the nature of Gozreh's breath.
Round 4
Suny swings at any of the leafy critters that come near.
Reijo cannot help but smirk at Vik's mishap. Making a poor joke about her new makeup, "Black powder be yer color, Queenie."
The sailor keeps a vigilant eye on those nasty leafy critters, sure to swing at any that get too close for comfort.
Bellamy continues to Inspire Courage (+1 to hit and Damage for all allies).
His summoning comes through as a Celestial Eagle swoops in to tear up one of the flying leaf creatures.
for a possible
for a possible
for a possible
His Celestial Dire Rat makes a final attack before derezzing.
for a possible damage plus possible disease.
Vine -1/30
Ray1 (grounded) dead
Ray2 (grounded) dead
Ray3 (canopy) 7/15 (6 nl)
Ray4 (canopy) dead
Ray5 (grounded) dead
Ray6 (canopy) 15/15
Ray7 [low flying] 11/15
1-2 Reijo 3-4 Suny 5-6 Vik
As No-Eyes' rat friend makes a final, desperate attempt to tear through the nearest leaf, a celestial eagle tears into existence from some plane beyond and delivers a series of dire blows to an airborne leaf ray. It spirals rapidly out of control and hits the jungle floor with the silence of an autumn leaf.
Reijo and Suny keep close to the leaves still near the ground, their wing-like shape desperate to catch the wind before swords fall around them. Though Reijo's cutlass is a clear miss around the squirming leaf, his axe swings upward to catch it clean through the midsection. It falls apart as Suny delivers a swift chop though the one nearest her... leaving only three of the seven rays still flying!
Though they might be mere leaves with a bare modicum of intelligence, the trio still flying coordinate their efforts in defense of the buds at the base of the tree. They swoop down, arcing over the heads of all, towards the only creature they'd yet stung--Suny. Forgoing all defense, they go into a great, exaggerated dive as they charge towards the elf. She seeks shelter in the still-living undergrowth, but between its grasping at her ankles and the stiffness of her muscles, one of the rays manages to sting her yet again!
Fortunately, she doesn't feel the same strange poison flowing through her veins as she did before...
Round 5
Nhati fires off her last first-level spell of the day by launching two greenish bolts of magical force at the ray close to the ground -- the one near her.
I is hurtin'..." Suny complains about her greenery inflicted stings and jabs.
Ol' Salty weaves a cloud of mist within his hands, passes it over to Lil' Fisher, and yells "Bring it te Suny, quick like!"
Lil' Fisher dashes over to Suny, giving her Mist's Shroud.
The shaman touches a willing creature (including herself ) and enshrouds that creature in mist. This grants the creature concealment as the blur spell. The mist dissipates after it causes an attack to miss because of concealment or after 1 minute, whichever comes first.Once this mist around it dissipates, the creature cannot be the target of this hex again for 24 hours.
Lil Fisher acrobatics if needed:
Biting down on his billard-shaped pipe with his molars gives Reijo the appearance of mad enjoyment as he continues to whirl axe and blade at the flying leaves.
Vine -1/30
Ray1 (grounded) dead
Ray2 (grounded) dead
Ray3 (canopy) dead
Ray4 (canopy) dead
Ray5 (grounded) dead
Ray6 (canopy) dead
Ray7 [low flying] 4/15
As Nhati sends a pair of magic missiles darting after the ray near her, Lil' Fisher bounds through the grasping undergrowth with remarkable agility. Sprinting over to Suny, he delivers a misty shroud of protection against the rays.
Yet, as Reijo finishes chopping through one of the fleeing rays with his cutlass and plants his axe in its returning pair, such defenses might not even be necessary. Suny finishes what Reijo started with a swift chop from her curved blade, leaving what's left of the ray drifting on the wind into the (already!) returning mists that hug the dirt of Besmara's Throne.
The sole surviving ray--midway between Nhati and Suny, hurt, and too low to the ground to do anything--is apparently not quite as stupid as it could be. An instinctual urge to live has it dip into a roll, turning at a right angle to the group and swooping up towards the cover of branches and leaves.
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"Right! Now let's get out quick like! Fore more of em come"
Suny plops down into the forest leaf litter and sighs before tipping over and resting.
"Is okeys.. I is jus' gon'a rest a while..."
"Aye!" Looking grumpily at Suny, he sheathes his weapons and tries to pick her up. He places her over one of his shoulders, and begins to bolt along with Ol' Salty onwards to where they're going. "No time fer restin', Saucy lass! We best make haste an' be gone from this accursed jungle, lest ye fancy the thought o' bein' food fer them planties!"