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Khayal will take to the paddles
pass
pass
fail
fail
pass
pass
pass
pass
pass
pass
let's keep it going
some more
very nice
some more
Ok so it ends.
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With fighter Khayal taking on most of the activity to make a canoe, the six adventurers made it past the ocean currents separating the two islands.
Right off the pleasant beach the land rises into a range of low hills split by many waterfalls and mist-shrouded vales, their streams criss-crossing the foot of the hills and feeding into the marshes below. The hills are crowned with thick, tangled forest and many caves and crevasses.
No
Low
Hajar says to his brother Do you see sign of the Ram?
Khayal begins looking for spoor in roughly the location they last saw the animal. Broken branches, moved pebbles anything that could indicate a trail or direction of travel. When they near one of the waterfalls, Khayal tastes it and if it seems pure, dumps out his waterskins and refill them with the purer water.
Khayal finds spoor again as the beach sand turns into low hills. Yazi does better by finding tracks - wisps of golden wool in the scrub bushes. The trail leads South-by-Southwest before taking a sharp turn to the East.
Bartan helps Yazi as well as he can.
Once onto the tracks Khayal continues to try to pursue the ram through the foliage. Stopping every once in a while to try to stay on the track.
Try as they might, the adventurers continue to track the Golden Ram, but without sighting the legendary creature. What they do see are the tracks of heavy, multi-headed hydras and large snakes in the moss-slicked vales.
After a bit of effort, Khayal believes that he has redound the track. I believe it is this way. he says in the low voice of a hunter stalking his prey.
Just past one of the tiny waterfalls, along the side of the stream it makes, you find the Golden Ram. It is placidly chewing on some leaves from one of the water plants that grows alongside the running water. It appears to not notice your adventuring party.
You see some gnolls stealthily coming from the Northeast, also hunting the Golden Ram. Their fur and armor are dyed in hideous patterns and decorated with shells, feathers, and tiny fetishes. The gnoll in front is trying to motion the others to stay quiet while he readies a spear, cautiously crawling forward.
Khayal crouches in the brush, trying to keep a low profile.
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Hajar is as stealthy as Yazi is focused...
The adventurers at the stream hold still, for the most part, while the gnoll hunters on the other side sneak forward.
A sound of movement from the paladin, however, make the Golden Ram stop his munching on the river vegetation, one ear flickering. The gnolls also stop, noticing the human party for the first time. They see Bartan and Rayhan, one in leather armor, one in robes.
ROUND ONE
Init:
attack
gnolls
The Golden Ram snorts, looking around, and takes off across the stream at the group of gnolls! It manages to reach the first beast-man,
killing him underfoot.
"I think our goal here is to CATCH the ram, my dear Yazi, so helping it defeat the gnolls may be the better option. We wouldn't want it to be killed by an errant gnoll sword."
Bartan moves forward and casts shield on himself, with not enough movement available to engage the gnolls yet.
Khayal will begin to move toward the gnolls, his kukris in hand.
The oldest gnoll in the back barks out a command.
"Scatter! Watch out for its' breath!"
The gnolls dodge left and right, moving out of the Golden Ram's way.
Rayhan draws his Wand of Magic Missile.
Yazi dear, are you sure you want to "capture" the Ram....that route seems...improbable. Rayhan moves to further distance himself from the Ram.
Hajar frowns at the Ram Were we to capture the beast? Or slay it?
Hajar asks for Sarenrae's Divine Favor and he moves towards the Ram.
ROUND TWO
Init:
The Golden Ram screeches to a halt, and it breathes golden fumes at the gnolls around it! One of the gnolls is caught in the billowing cloud.
The gnoll manages to shake off the effect.
Khayal continues moving forward, kukris still in his hands.
Bartan double-moves forward, trying to determine what the function of the billowing cloud coming from the ram's mouth might be.
You can't identify the spell being cast from the magical animal, but you have heard of magical animals with breath weapons, often fatal ones.
Rayhan calls out Be wary. This beast is more than it seems
Hajar continues forward
The breath weapon the Golden Ram is using is similar to the petrifying breath weapon of the gorgon, a flesh-and-bone beast that resembles a construct. The petrification would be temporary, if that is any consolation.
So if Nex took a gorgon and modified it to be the Golden Ram, then like a gorgon, it would primarily attack like a bovine bull of that size, but Nex would likely put several magical aids into his creature, such as magical immunity, the water walk you have already seen, etc. Dispel magic against an archwizard's personal creature would doubtless only last seconds before its' amplified magic being renewed.
Massive damage would be the best course of action. Give the Golden Ram any opening, and it will flee or attack. Surround it.
The gnolls all throw spears at the Golden Ram.
Two wooden spears bounce off the golden hide of the massive sheep, two flying wildly.
ROUND THREE
Init:
The Golden Ram snorts and paws the ground, breathing its' golden breath again at the gnolls. This time two are caught in the billowing clouds.
Once again, the older-looking gnoll shrugs off the magical cloud, but his companion is not so fortunate: his limbs stiffen, and the beast-man becomes a golden statue!
Khayal charges the gnoll slicing with his kukri.