Ice's Island of Relative Order

Game Master icehawk333

Yamyra was always saying things like that. What was a safe answer... Saying nothing wasn't safe. "The dark colour avoids that, Luca. It, ah, suits you." Moving on quickly, "If the lady of the maze is rooted in place here then that change at least must have occurred. Have you seen any forces which might control this island in your time here, Lady?"

"i... look, I try not to remember. I don't like to remember. If I think too hard about who and what I am, I start to realize I'm..."
The woman sighs.
"look, thus far I have very few leads. A few, but they're... odd. I'd love to look into them more, but I've nowhere to go, no ability to set up a place to work and take notes. At least, not on my own."

Lwazi looks to the others.

"We could use every ally we can get," he suggests, "And one who can capably defend a camp would be a great asset. I for one would say an alliance is a good idea."

"Well, I don't want to be too forward, but we could use a better place to stay, if you'd be so willing. My name is Luca Bloodbeak." Luca gives a slight respectful bow. No harm in niceties now and again.

"Wait, we're moving? I've been tunneling out the cavern for weeks now..."

the woman tilts her head.
"well, you don't have to move, if you'll have me. I do have at least a modicum of mobility."
The woman produces a small flower, sitting in a wreath of thorns.
"plant this where you want me to arrive, and I'll show up within the day."

Lwazi nods. "That would be much more convenient..."

The sudden thought struck him. Why was he doing this? How could they trust her? Maybe they should just kill her...

He thrust the thought aside, disturbed it had even occurred to him. Realizing he'd stopped speaking, he asks, "It should be somewhere with sunlight, yes?"

Lwazi realizes his inaccuracy and corrects himself, "Or what passes for sunlight here."

"It should be more or less in open air, yes."

Lwazi hesitates a moment again, briefly fighting indecision before saying, "Then let us do this thing. We could plant it in front of the cave where we have taken shelter, yes?"

The woman nods, smiling nervously.

Andras doesn't look so sure about this whole venture, but isn't the type to speak out against what the group wants. He just doesn't think they know enough about this plant woman to let her so close in to the base...

So, I believe our current plan is to bring the strange plant woman to our hidey hole, right? Via flower-porting?

"Well, this calls for introductions. May I ask your name?" Luca asks as he nods to the woman and takes the flower she offered.

Open air means outside our base unless we build a solid greenhouse and probably a wall around it. Until and unless we get spells that'd help build that I can't see how she'd last a day or so if we were out when she was attacked. Still, it's better than a ruined maze in a place that a hostile vampire dragon knows about I guess.

Rivet sniffs. Someone who can't be straightforward when her life depends on it is not someone he approves of. He makes notes about the maze and dragon in his journal but "Rivet" is all he says.

The woman thinks a while when asked for a name, but eventually produces "valanna."

as the group heads back home, a soft hissing can be heard in the mist, rapidly changing directions it's coming from before it shifts to a mewling, then a howl, then just a disgusting splatting sound. Something's here.

Lwazi hesitates a moment, looking around, before drawing his falchion and baring his teeth.

from the fog emerges a rapidly shifting shape, each moment something entierly different, unable to settle on a form, a blob of mass with features from a dozen animals at once.

Rivet renews his protective magic in a hurry. "Gods and Demons, what is that?" he exclaims.

Protective magic = vigor

Roy responds to Rivit's question with an inadequate yet correct response. "Dangerous."

Roy slides in front of the bulk of the group, his armor, shield, and sword ready to defend if it comes forward to attack.

roulette talks at lightning's pace.

everyone can go before the creature if they desire.

With a muttered "huh?" in Roulette's direction Rivet sends a quick blast of energy at the attacking shifting creature before getting Fate's Shears back out.

ranged touch attack, point blank: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 9 + 1 = 28
damage, branding pattern, point blank: 4d6 + 6 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (5, 2, 4, 2) + 6 + 6 + 1 = 26 halved if this thing isn't undead, I suspect strongly it's some sort of outsider, to 13 damage.

Sorry, forgot that we could all go

Lwazi warily circles the thing, slowly drawing closer, ready to strike if it got in range.

Not sure if he's staggered this round or not. Either way he's getting closer to the enemy, just not within 10'. If he has a full round of actions he's readying an attack.

Readied attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Damage: 2d4 + 9 ⇒ (4, 3) + 9 = 16
Crit threat: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Damage: 2d4 + 9 ⇒ (2, 1) + 9 = 12

Gin drinks a golden extract, draws his sword, and circles around the creature opposite to Lwazi.
extract of heroism.

"He says it's not sentient. So, don't need to feel bad I guess." Luca gives the rest of Roulette's information before moving in with a casting of Divine Favor and a slash of the wrist.

Claw: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (11) + 13 = 24 If also flanking with Gin. 22 otherwise.
Dam: 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

1d20 + 7 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 19To hit
1d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 2 = 11 damage 1d6 ⇒ 1 acid

Roy moves around to flank with whoever wasn't already, cornering it on all four sides. This thing wasn't even an animal, so he had no problem with eliminating it as a threat.

the beast is torn into and bits are torn off, but it continues to flail and writhe, appendages lashing out at it's attackers.

gin: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26

roy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16

luca: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

roy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

damage, gin: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

damage, luca: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

gin, make a fort save.

luca's cloak flares green after the attack hits him, divine protection stopping an unknown consequence.

Lwazi snarls and slashes at the thing with his falchion, but he doesn't think it wise to attack with his horns.

Slash: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25
Damage: 2d4 + 12 ⇒ (3, 4) + 12 = 19
Slash: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29
Damage: 2d4 + 12 ⇒ (3, 4) + 12 = 19

The snarling bite bounces of of Roy's psychic armor as he goes for two strikes with his cutlass.

1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17 to hit
1d8 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 damage 1d6 ⇒ 6 acid

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25 to hit
1d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 damage 1d6 ⇒ 6 acid

fort save: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13

Rivet waves his scissors...

Immediate action spent to reroll Gin's save using Fate's Shears.

reroll: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

He follows that (likely) success up with another blast aimed at the mad creature. Without time to brand its pattern this time however.

ranged touch, point blank: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 9 + 1 = 15
damge, point blank: 4d6 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (1, 3, 5, 2) + 6 + 1 = 18 which halves to 9

Wha... Red spirals shift to a searing green if for only a moment, but for once Luca doesn't say anything, instead choosing to focus on his efforts in combat.

Claw: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27
Dam: 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

Claw: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25
Dam: 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13

Bite: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Dam: 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Gin ignores the hit and slashes at the creature with a much force as he could muster.
to hit: 1d20 + 6 + 6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 6 + 2 + 2 = 29.
damage: 1d8 + 9 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 9 + 6 + 1 = 18
sneak attack: 4d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 2, 4) = 14

the creature shudders and falteres, dropping into a pile and beginning to melt into the ground.

Lwazi glares at the thing, tired of these enemies that don't leave good meat when killed.

"That was easier than I feared," he comments aloud.

The swift combat where he felt no personal threat has left the boggle in a thoughtful mood. "Either our presence is drawing enemies here in which case we should move and Valanna might be best to hide, or they were coming here in any case and we should remain some time to fight them off. Can we tell the difference?"

Given a moment to do so he reattunes his pattern disruption to the chaotic outsiders which must surely be most common given the location of this island.

Roy drives his sword through the dissolving thing's body and into the ground as it fades.

"Either way, we should get back to camp. We don't know how long that flower is gonna be good for. I think out best course of action is to stick with the defendable place we've got now."

"I uhh, gotta be honest, I'm pretty happy with safe fights. I don't like worrying. Is everyone alright?"

"I vouch for that plan. With the flower and... things." Luca trails off in thought.

Will be leveled up tomorrow.

After a moment of silence, Lwazi shrugs. "There is nothing more to do here. Let us return to our camp."

the trek back is uneventful and swift.

Rivet makes sure the flower is planted, watered, and (for now) concealed. That will of course change as it grows larger. "A most curious creature, this Valanna. One rather hopes she does prove an ally, or at least informative." He shakes his head and heads to the cave entrance to meditate there.

Level up now you said?

"I agree. It would be good to have more allies."

yep, level up now.

"In the morning, perhaps we should set out to seek this creature the undead lord spoke of," Lwazi suggests as they settle in for the night. "I little like following his advice, but we seem to have few remaining options in this area."

"Well, 'morning'. But yes, that sounds like our next opportunity. I'm dying to meet it."

"Perhaps one day at our new, ah, home? It would assist in determining whether we were followed and I have one simple preparation I should like to make."

Rivet wants to dig a pit then use fold trap to pick it up and take it with him.

Lwazi shrugs slightly. "It is likely we can rest a day, though the longer we are here the more..."

He trails off, then shakes his horned head slightly. He reaches up and taps one of the horns. "We do not know... how long we will remain ourselves."

Roy shrugs at the mention of changes. "I'm not really sure what happened to you two. I feel fine."
He stays on guard for the trip back to base, trying to make sure they aren't followed.

folding up the pit is totally viable and will be quite easy with the special pickaxe.

The party, after returning to base, planting the flower and making preperations, heads off.

as the group sets out toward the snowstorm that the man gestured to, there's an odd calm in the air. The ground nearby coated in snow, and the air slightly chilly. Soon enough, the party stands at the edge of the storm, winds whipping rapidly within the snowstorm. The storm jerks in a random direction now and then, but seems oddly contained- at the edge of the storm, there's no snow in the air, and any snow that would cross the "border" of the storm simply vanishes. The storm is very dark.