OOC: This is going to hurt a wee bit.
Dashki moves to follow as well.
Oh! How unlucky!
As Reza moves forward, he slips on a fallen piece of cactus. He stumbles into a saguaro cactus, and the arm springs back and hits Durandel.
Dashki nimbly dodges.
Reza manages to bite back a curse, and turns to look sheepishly over his shoulder at Durandel.
"Er... sorry," he says. "If it's any consolation, it hit me, too."
He keeps moving forward.
Lyriah watches their progress with bated breath and a firm grip on her bow. Sidling sideways, she tries to get the best view of her brother and compatriots, but is ever aware of the cliff and the thorny plants centimetres from her. If there is movement or something shows itself Lyriah will call a warning to those advancing.
A small mammal pops out of its burrow near Lyriah.
Durandel maneuvers past Reza to the open area where the goat is running back and forth, straining at its tether.
Oh! How unlucky!
Dashki attempts to pass Reza as well, only to step on the paladin's cloak. The two of them collide with each other, then into a cactus.
Fortunately, Dashki is now free of the cacti and able to assist Durandel with calming the goat.
Novid decides this is as good a time as any to begin making his way through the cacti.
How unlucky!
He misjudges the distance in the dark and walks straight into a cactus.
HP:8/9
"Ouch! That stings!" Novid cried out, brushing some of the thorns off. "So dark out here. If only I had a..." Novid pauses then looks down to the wayfinder around his neck. "Oh yeah..." He sighs as he activates his wayfinder, causing light to shine forth. "Need to remember that for next time." Chuckling, he processed futher into the patch towards the goat.
"If I did not know better, I would think we were living through some nightmare or other..." says Reza, continuing on his way, and wiping at a cut on his brow from the cactus.
OH!! HOW UNLUCKY!!
As Reza proceeds to the inner edge of the cactus forest, he steps on the bottom of a fallen elongated cactus. This causes the cactus to spring upright, making impact just behind the codpiece of Reza's armour.
Novid chuckles and stares in admiration at the beauty of his wayfinder as he continues forward... and walks into another cactus.
Four members of the group are now in the small clearing, where the goat runs madly back and forth within the limits the rope allows.
HP:7/9
"Now that I can see, I can-" Wham "Ow... Walk into another cactus..." Novid grumbles as he pulls some of the thorns out of his arm. "Maybe... we should have just cut are we through?" He looks to Reza, rubbing the back of his head. "Would have saved some us some trouble, hehe..." Novid sighs as he look toward the goat as it runs around wildly.
"H-hey there... Don't be afraid." He calls out to it softly as he slowly takes his backpack off. "I got something tasty for you." He opens it up and rummages around before pulling out a few sheets of paper. Here... Come here. Come get the tasty paper." He moves a few feet forward before crouching, holding the paper toward the goat in his left hand.
Lyriah attempts to identify the mammal that came out of its burrow, but continues to keep an eye out for the others.
Or
Or
Lyriah believes it is some breed of squirrel.
It's very distracting.
The goat is covered in scratches and quills. His eyes are rolling around as he struggles against the rope.
As the goat runs about, the rope wraps around Dashki's legs.
Oh! How unlucky!
The encircling rope causes Dashki to lose his balance at the edge of the cliff, and he tumbles into the waiting arms of an enormous cactus below!
"Dashki!" Novid calls out as tumbles down the cliff edge. Novid lets out a grumble as he turns his attention to the rope attached to the goat. "We best cut the rope lest we all get tangled up in it." Novid suggests dropping his paper as he draw his longsword and tries to cut the rope.
Reza spends most of the next thirty seconds trying to avoid keening out loud in pain from the spike that nearly unmanned him.
"Yes," Reza says to Novid. "Next time. Burn it. It's the only way to be sure." He shudders as he clears the rest of the cacti.
"I'll... stand watch," he says, as he sees the chaos of the goat chase happening. He readies his shield and sword in case they are ambushed while chasing Dashki off the cliff.
Stomping her foot to shoo off the squirrel, Lyriah keeps her concentration on the others and the surrounding area, knowing full well an attack could come at any moment.
ooc: Sorry, forgot the perception roll if need be.
Durandel hears Dahki cursing from the top of the cactus 10' below.
Novid severs the tie-rope, and the goat flees into the cactus patch. The spines tear at the creature, and it falls unconscious before making it all the way through.
A small pile of dirt erupts near the goat, and a tiny ugly creature shrieks at the party in a high-pitched voice.
It points in Novid's direction, and the bard's sword shatters into fragments.
At the sound of the shriek, Dashki frees himself from the cactus and begins climbing the cliff.
How Unlucky! The rock he is clinging to breaks free of the cliff, and he falls prone at the bottom of the incline.
The gremlin pulls out a tiny bow and fires at the thief who stole his goat (Novid).
Its arrow goes far astray, and the creature giggles madly.
Novid gasps as his sword shatters like if it were made of glass. "What in Desna's name?" He turns to the ceature, just in time to see an arrow fly past him. "You little bastard!" He yells angryly at the odd creature. Just what was this creature he thought. He took a moment to think. Maybe he saw something about it back at the grand lodge?
A tiny, bipedal creature is visible near the inner edge of the cactus patch. It looks like somebody shaved a particularly ugly, mangy lapdog and changed it into a humanoid.
Oh! How unlucky!
As Durandel goes to strike the ugly creature, his rapier gets lodged in an intervening cactus, and he has to tug it free.
Novid casts a spell at the creature, but unfortunately it has no apparent effect.
"HeeheeheeHEEheeHEEheeheeheeheheeheeHEE!!!"
Lyriah attempts to ascertain what the creature is.
Since no one is standing next to it yet, Lyriah will attempt to hit it with an arrow.
Lyriah's arrow strikes a cactus.
Tydus moves down to join Lyriah to try to get a clear shot with his bow through the mess of cacti and brambles.
"Give me a little room, missy."
[dice=Twang]1d20+2
[dice=Twang]1d20+2
‘’Sure, but I don’t think it will improve your aim.” Lyriah says with a wry smile.
Reza blinks in surprise at the... thing... that is now attacking the party.
For a split second he's not entirely sure if the cactus had a hallucinogen in it, or if it's actually happening. And then all hell breaks loose, and he steps in to attack as well.
Roll 1:
Roll 2:
OOC: I think I can get in there, Neil, from the map, but if not, let me know.
Tariq shoulders his crossbow and fires at the... whatever it is.
Tariq then uses his move action to reload.
Dashki stands up and tries to climb again.
He doesn't fall, but makes no progress.
The ugly creature runs over to the edge of the cliff.
"HeeeheeheeHEEheehee!!"
Reza takes advantage of the potential for a shot at the little beast.
How unlucky!
The blades of the two warriors strike at the same time, and clash together while the creature ducks away beneath them.
It fires its tiny bow at Reza while giggling madly.
Frustrated with her lack of ability with the bow, Lyriah tries to use a weapon she excels at, magic. Holding her fist out toward the creature, a dart of glowing energy flashes forth from her ring striking the chittering creature.
Durandel steps precariously close to the edge of the cliff and swings wildly over top of the beastie.
Novid seems overwhelmed by all of the bad luck affecting the party.
Lyriah casts a spell, and a bolt of light shoots towards the ugly dog-thing.
The bolt strikes the creature, and it squawks.
Reza swings at the little creep once more!
The otherworldly nature of the pugwampi turns the blade somewhat, but the force of Reza's blow is still enough to fell the tiny wounded creature.
There is an immediate end to the pall which has been hovering over the heroes.
Keeping his crossbow ready, if not aimed, Tariq makes his way to the pugwampi and examines it.
Tariq begins slowly and safely making his way through the cactus forest, while Dashki seems to be having more success with climbing out of the ravine.
Reza stays with Tariq, keeping his weapon ready. He signals to the others to approach the goat and the dead pugwampi.
"Check for other stragglers."
Tariq finds that the pugwampi was carrying only a tiny dagger, a tiny bow with arrows, and a few singed Harrow cards.
Dashki joins the others in the clearing.
"Here is the proof the Lady was looking for."
He grabs the body of the pugwampi.
Fortunately, when Durandel gets around to checking on the goat, it is merely unconscious.