"Not real?" Penance growls, still half-asleep, kinda sorta. "Looks real to me..."
He lumbers forward, yawning.
Iliante blinks hard. "Illusion?" Finally, he sees the blurry edges around the beetle, so he searches for another target. He hears the odd chanting, so he hustles toward and snaps off another shot.
The leopard pauses for a second, puzzled when his pouncing left him with no flesh under his claws. He growls softly.
“Go on then! Attack!” screams at the fiendish cat Telemakos. The cat turns on its own, low in the undergrowth, looking around “What are you waiting for? This is absurd! I cannot believe I actually miss that simpleton genie! You are an embarrassment to big cats, and… and yes, and fiendish creature everywhere! There, I said it. Umpf!”
The leopard seems to have little interest in the gnome’s rant, looking around for another prey.
“You are bound to do my bidding, you beast! The magical rules are quite specif…” Telemakos stops cold when he hears Corridan shouting that the beetle is illusory.
“Oh. Oh well… YES, OF COURSE IT IS ILLUSORY!” screams Telemakos to the top of his lungs “I wouldn’t be much of a gnome if I couldn’t recognize illusions, now would I?” angered at himself for being fooled, Telemakos tries to play confident “Now that fool ‘Ras would’ve been tricked, but you didn’t, huh?” he says to the leopard “Good boy! Now let’s see…”
“I believe there’s nothing wrong with it, Master Coates!” the gnome moves forward “Let’s see a little better now… this should help!”
_______________
Devram steps up to the beetle and slashes at it with his dueling sword. as his blade passes too easily through the beetle, he realizes its illusory nature. "Huh. Well that's odd. I..." he trails off and he hears the sound of chanting in the distance. But something isn't right. "Hey, that chanting isn't what it seems to be. Doesn't even sound human. I think it's another distraction. We probably have some trickster sorcerer or fey nearby!"
"Well," Corridan says simply as he finds the beetle to be little more than smoke and mirrors, as the saying goes. "The creature is not real, merely an illusion," he calls out to the others, as he in turn takes heed of Devram's own warning. Still, the tailor moves towards the sound of spellcasting, if for no other reason than to investigate further.
"Not real?" Penance growls, still half-asleep, kinda sorta. "Looks real to me..." He lumbers forward, yawning. "Ohp...there it goes, nevermind."
Iliante blinks hard. "Illusion?" Finally, he sees the blurry edges around the beetle, so he searches for another target. He hears the odd chanting, so he hustles toward and snaps off another shot. He manages to put a few holes through some trees.
The leopard pauses for a second, puzzled when his pouncing left him with no flesh under his claws. He growls softly.
“Go on then! Attack!” screams Telemakos at the fiendish cat. The cat turns on its own, low in the undergrowth, looking around “What are you waiting for? This is absurd! I cannot believe I actually miss that simpleton genie! You are an embarrassment to big cats, and… and yes, and fiendish creature everywhere! There, I said it. Umpf!”
The leopard seems to have little interest in the gnome’s rant, looking around for another prey.
“You are bound to do my bidding, you beast! The magical rules are quite specif…” Telemakos stops cold when he hears Corridan shouting that the beetle is illusory. “Oh. Oh well… YES, OF COURSE IT IS ILLUSORY!” screams Telemakos to the top of his lungs “I wouldn’t be much of a gnome if I couldn’t recognize illusions, now would I?” angered at himself for being fooled, Telemakos tries to play confident “Now that fool ‘Ras would’ve been tricked, but you didn’t, huh?” he says to the leopard “Good boy! Now let’s see…”
“I believe there’s nothing wrong with it, Master Coates!” the gnome moves forward “Let’s see a little better now… this should help!”
Shinjuko advances to beside Iliante and Corridan, searching the undergrowth for a target.
Then suddenly something bursts from the trees above them. It is a creature of nightmarish horror, lit bright by the glow of the dancing lights. Ten long, lashing serpentine tentacles whip through the air in a wriggling cloud, their lengths glimmering with viridian scales. The tentacles come together under a roughly ovoid orb that consists mostly of huge slavering draconic maw surmounted by two great yellow eyes like those of a crocodile. The whole abomination is held aloft on two great bat-like wings, which flap heftily to keep it in place. Its slitted pupils dart down to focus on the Agents, who are all looking up from below. The thing shudders as if to cough, and then an impossibly huge torrent of acidic gas erupts from its mouth to engulf all the Agents.
================================
____________________________________
Fail
Shin HP:25/51 Corridan HP:16/42
“OH GODS EVERYWHERE we’re doomed! Aaaah!” Telemakos screams like a madman when the real enemy manifests itself. The panic completely assaults him for the first seconds, paralyzing him in place, wishing he could be anywhere else. The leopard growls softly.
Then a spray of corrosive gas invests both of them. The leopard is quick to dodge the bulk of the noxious cloud, and the gnome miraculously manages to do the same, mostly by imitating the summoned beast. Oh Gods I wish I couldn’t see it oh Gods oh Gods It is melting my clothes! aaaah! “MY SKIN!” he screams when the bite of the acid gets through his clothes.
The Leopard’s mane, already fiendish-looking, is not improved by acid burns and exposed flesh. It barely even waits for his summoner to give an order: he sees an enemy, and almost faster than human eye it climbs up the trees to bury its claws and teeth into the monster.
Telemakos is partially awoken from his terror by the sight of his summoned minion “Fight, brave creature! Fight for me!” he weaves into his incitement his most powerful spell, increasing speed and nimbleness of his companions. Boosted by the spell, the cat unleashes a fury of attacks on the monster: it is an impressive sight, and quite effective.
_______________
1)
You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). You must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can't charge. If any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can't charge. Helpless creatures don't stop a charge.2)
A creature with a climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC higher than 0, but it can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If a creature with a climb speed chooses an accelerated climb (see above), it moves at double its climb speed (or at its land speed, whichever is slower) and makes a single Climb check at a –5 penalty. Such a creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. It cannot, however, use the run action while climbing.
So taking a movement with climb speed is a move action, can't be part of a charge. No charge means no pounce. What it can do, is move to the base of the tree (15"), begin climbing the tree (DC 15) which it can do accelerated climb with taking 10. Then it can climb up 30' as the rest of its move action. Then it can attack the thing once. So the bite will go off.
Iliante blinks hard AGAIN. "By the gods! I hope THAT's an illusion, too!" Then, he screams as acid engulfs him in screaming, but he doesn't realize that he's the one screaming. The sudden pain overwhelms the recognition that the thing is real.
With automatic muscle memory, Iliante snaps off two shots into the horror. He then, steps back to void getting landed on.
and
and
"What. Is. That?" Devram stares wide eyed at the creature just before it breathes acid on all of them. The gas takes the Aldori full in the face and he begins coughing up blood as the acid burns both his skin and his throat. "Aaaagh!"
Still hurting from the acid, Devram runs away from the monster, back to the lizard mounts.
Penance snarls as the acid washes over him, burning his flesh. Through the haze, he squints up at the thing hovering over the camp.
"What in all the damned planes is that?"
Doesn't matter: it wants to kill them. That's really all Penance needs to know.
"Abadar! Could use a little help!" he shouts.
A burst of golden light erupts in the jungle, radiating outward from Penance to bathe him and his fellow agents.
Flying bastard.... needs his bow, which is back by his bedroll... Penance turns and runs clanking back towards his bow.
“OH GODS EVERYWHERE we’re doomed! Aaaah!” Telemakos screams like a madman when the real enemy manifests itself. The panic completely assaults him for the first seconds, paralyzing him in place, wishing he could be anywhere else. The leopard growls softly.
Then a spray of corrosive gas invests both of them. The leopard is quick to dodge the bulk of the noxious cloud, and the gnome miraculously manages to do the same, mostly by imitating the summoned beast. Oh Gods I wish I couldn’t see it oh Gods oh Gods It is melting my clothes! aaaah! “MY SKIN!” he screams when the bite of the acid gets through his clothes.
The Leopard’s mane, already fiendish-looking, is not improved by acid burns and exposed flesh. It barely even waits for his summoner to give an order: he sees an enemy, and almost faster than human eye it climbs up the trees to bury its claws and teeth into the monster.
Telemakos is partially awoken from his terror by the sight of his summoned minion “Fight, brave creature! Fight for me!” he weaves into his incitement his most powerful spell, increasing speed and nimbleness of his companions. Boosted by the spell, the cat bounds up the tree, and bites the monster.
Iliante blinks hard AGAIN. "By the gods! I hope THAT's an illusion, too!" Then, he screams as acid engulfs him in screaming, but he doesn't realize that he's the one screaming. The sudden pain overwhelms the recognition that the thing is real.
With automatic muscle memory, Iliante snaps off two shots into the horror. He then, steps back to avoid getting landed on.
"What. Is. That?" Devram stares wide eyed at the creature just before it breathes acid on all of them. The gas takes the Aldori full in the face and he begins coughing up blood as the acid burns both his skin and his throat. "Aaaagh!"
Still hurting from the acid, Devram runs away from the monster, back to the lizard mounts.
Penance snarls as the acid washes over him, burning his flesh. Through the haze, he squints up at the thing hovering over the camp. "What in all the damned planes is that?" Doesn't matter: it wants to kill them. That's really all Penance needs to know. "Abadar! Could use a little help!" he shouts. A burst of golden light erupts in the jungle, radiating outward from Penance to bathe him and his fellow agents. Flying bastard.... He needs his bow, which is back by his bedroll... Penance turns and runs clanking back towards his bow.
Corridan flings two shuriken at the thing. They both bounce off its thick hide.
Shinjuko casts her most powerful spell, shooting a ray of fire at the creature, but it dodged the ray.
The wounded horror ignores the leopard and charges straight down at Corridan. The leopard swipes at the creature, but its claws cannot pierce the abomination's thick hide. The tenacled creature grab's the tailor's head in its tentacles and rips it off, crushing it like a ripe melon and flinging it onto Shinjuko's face. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAhahahahahahahaha!" it laughs evilly.
================================
__________________________________
Miss
Miss
Iliante recalibrate his target to the correct size and snaps off the last two shots from his revolver. He then, steps back to make space to reload.
and
and
Penance gapes when he sees Corridan not just cut down, but.... pulped. The tailor never had a chance. His open jaw changes into a snarl. Penance drops his sword, snatches up his bow, and sends an arrow at the horror with his eyes blazing yellow in the night.
The arrow flies clean, but isn't enough to penetrate the creature's hide.
"Come over here, Ugly!" Penance spits.
Devram leaps onto the lizard and spurs the mount forward. The lizard leaps up into the trees and circles around the creature, getting higher than the winged monster.
The critter is hovering ten feet off the ground over the square it's on.
“OH GODS Master Valkeri!” Telemakos is in total shock as he sees his cabin-mate on the ship get brutally, horrifyingly killed. Something just breaks into the gnome’s mind. He did think of Corrdian as his link to the civilized lifestyle he so craves; now there's just savagery.
“No. NononononoNO…NO! Don’t…do not come close to me please!” he screams and gestures towards the monster. More out of desperation than training he channels some magic through his pathetic plea, and a slowing torpor grabs the monster.
The fiendish leopard, unfazed by a human’s death (actually quite impressed by the great skill at violence his opponent possesses), goes for the eyes with his claws and teeth. Because that’s just fair.
____________________
Iliante recalibrate his target to the correct size and snaps off the last two shots from his revolver. He then, steps back to make space to reload.
Penance gapes when he sees Corridan not just cut down, but.... pulped. The tailor never had a chance. His open jaw changes into a snarl. Penance drops his sword, snatches up his bow, and sends an arrow at the horror with his eyes blazing yellow in the night.
The arrow flies clean, but isn't enough to penetrate the creature's hide.
"Come over here, Ugly!" Penance spits.
Devram leaps onto the lizard and spurs the mount forward. The lizard leaps up into the trees and circles around the creature, getting higher than the winged monster.
“OH GODS Master Valkeri!” Telemakos is in total shock as he sees his cabin-mate on the ship get brutally, horrifyingly killed. Something just breaks into the gnome’s mind. He did think of Corrdian as his link to the civilized lifestyle he so craves; now there's just savagery.
“No. NononononoNO…NO! Don’t…do not come close to me please!” he screams and gestures towards the monster. More out of desperation than training he channels some magic through his pathetic plea, and a slowing torpor grabs the monster.
The fiendish leopard, unfazed by a human’s death (actually quite impressed by the great skill at violence his opponent possesses), goes for the eyes with his claws and teeth. Because that’s just fair.
Shinjuko hisses as the dragonkin splatters her with gore.
She steps up to the thing, and strikes at it twice with a spell imbued blade. Her first frosty blow deflects off its iron-hard scales, so the young samurai whirls, slashing again. The second blow strike the monster in one of its eyes, slicing the yellow orb right in half and eliciting a bellowing roar from the creature.
"我爸爸會殺你和大家你見過!" the creature hisses at Shinjuko.
Knowing that it cannot continue to take punishment at this rate, but seeing how badly wounded Shinjuko is, the green nightmare tries to take her out like it did Corridan. She dodges its bite, and two slashes from the claws at the tips of its longest tentacles, but the triple evasion leaves her open. The decapus's tentacles lash out as one, in a lightning fast maneuver and grab Shinjuko solidly, immediately constricting down on her and crushing bone. The fiend wraps her up and pulls her close to the underside of its body, flapping furiously to stay aloft. It then roars a shockingly loud, trumpeting call that echoes across the hills and canopy of the nearby jungle, off into the distance.
================================
[b]
From the unknown realms of darkness deeper into the land of Nyarlathotep come return cries. Saurian trumpets of ancient and evil mien sound off, alerted to the presence of intruders in the verdant deep.
___________________________________________
Miss, miss, miss, hit.
Corridan, now Shinjuko-- Penance snarls a savage, wordless answer and looses another arrow at the monstrosity.
He's no archer. Growling his helpless frustration at another miss, Penance runs closer.
Devram spurs the lizard to the tentacle monster, slashing at it with his sword. He screams at the monster. "For Corridan!"
Iliante mechanically opens the cylinder spilling empty cartridges to the jungle floor. He then pulls his fast loader from his bandolier and rams six ready shells into the cylinder. The spin of the cylinder and twirl of the revolver are unnecessary but just as routine.
Then he snaps off another shot at the monster. The screaming of the tailor's name and the sight of his sensei dying in the monster's clutches have not penetrated his thoughts to generate meaning.
Seeing Penance coming through, after a few unlucky arrows, and realizing the monster is now actually quite low on the branches, Telemakos leaves room for his massive companion. Master Penance please destroy him! Smite him! Save Miss Shinjuko! Use that big sword of yours! I…I... Oh Gods, I actually wish Arasmes was here realizes Telemakos with a sigh I will help you, Master Penance! Strike mightly! and he starts an incantation on his righteous and larger ally.
His smaller, fiendish, and furry ally, aka the leopard, finds himself in a perfect position to lash out at the prey, but does so quite poorly.
____________________
In a slight retcon of reality, Penance realizes he can get closer to the thing than he planned. Right as he comes up on it, he drops his bow and draws his morningstar.
Iliante's shot kills the beast, but not before a final convulsion of its powerful muscles finish the job of crushing Shinjuko. He spine cracks with a sickeningly loud snap, as the twitching, flailing mass of scales and tentacles thuds onto the jungle floor. Its huge wings flutter a couple more times before it lays still. It is no less ugly in death than it was in life, and two of the Agents lay dead in the ferns.
Penance is ready to strike-- but the ringing crack of Iliante's weapon does the job before he can. Penance stands frozen a moment, then drops heavily to his knees next to Shinjuko. It's just like on the longboa, that's all, they thought she was dead then too with her blood flooding the water, he just has to call on Abadar's healing and...
Nothing happens. There's only Shin's bloody flesh under his hands, and no response from either Shinjuko or his god.
"Gods... gods be damned," Penance says in a rasping, hoarse voice. He lifts his bloody hand and rubs at his face, breathing hard.
"Shin's gone. Corridan too," he says after several seconds. "Hells. Hells. The Pit can take this damned place."
Slowly, Penance gets to his feet. Then he stands there, staring blankly around at the carnage. There's no profit here, just blood and horror.
Another of the startling roars echoes across the jungle canopy through the night. It seems to be a little closer than it was before. Though the Agents have won...no, survived, they aren't out of danger yet.
Dario bring the lizard mount to the ground. "What the hell was that thing?! If it can kill Corridan and Shinjuko like that, I don't want to tangle with any more of them. We might want to get out of here before we attract others."
-Posted with Wayfinder
-Posted with Wayfinder
Penance nods sharply to Devram. "Agreed." Another screech in the dark sends a shudder down his spine. He scoops up Shinjuko's lifeless body. "Grab Corridan. We're getting the f&$* out of here, but I won't leave their bodies here to rot in this hell-- they were good squad members, dammit."
He takes a handful of seconds to grab up the most basic of his gear-- his dropped weapons, his pack, and then throws himself back on one of the riding lizards.
"Penance, it's my turn for healing. In case we get caught running, we should be at full strength." Iliante replies while reloading his revolver.
Penance nods and hurriedly mutters quick words to Abadar as he touches the gunfighter on the shoulder.
Most of his injuries heal.
Iliante thanks the half-orc and carries Corridan to a mount. He would have preferred to protect his sensei's body, but this wasn't the time to argue feelings. He secures Corridan's body to one of the lizards and gets ready to go.
The Agents begin moving as quickly as their shocked bodies will respond, grabbing their gear and running/riding off into the jungle back the way they came. There are no winding explorations and pauses to add features to maps this time, but simply a headlong dash through the pre-dawn dark. Leaves and branches slap and grab at the Agents as they do their best to maintain speed. Every few minutes the air is punctuated with another roar. The creature(s?) pursuing the Aspis group are getting closer.
This headlong flight continues for what seems like an eternity, the agents driven onward by the frantic beating of their own hearts. Whenever they feel like a glimmer of hope has presented itself, the horrible roar breaks out over the canopy, closer than the time before.
Travel Map (Path of flight in green)
Eventually it becomes clear that they will not be able to outrun whatever it is chasing them. Up ahead, the Agents spot the opening to a cave in the hills, with a narrow entrance. The entrance is overgrown with vines, and there's no obvious sign of habitation. In fact it doesn't look very big, but it might be big enough to make a stand.