In the morning, Hektir stretches and rubs his tight back. He had a few too many pillows under it in the night in Mal’s cave.
When others are ready, he will morph into the mighty Apetir.
Apetir, with a new ring morphed into his being, is ready to push on after a good night’s rest. He will do his usual magical preparations and hope for the best.
His fire seeds are within easy reach.
Eventually, baba Yaga gets tired of your spending time doing anything but what she wants, and she urges you to go beyond the waterfall, where small streams of water flow from the pool and drain into crevices at the base of the cliff face. To the left, the canyon walls move closer together, bending along a curved path that narrows as it extends deeper into the canyon.
The canyon walls continue to narrow as they curve ahead, but just as it seems they must close together and come to an end, the path suddenly opens up into a box canyon on a warm spring night beneath unfamiliar stars glinting down from a cloudless and moonless sky. A wide pool glistens at the far end of the box canyon, its waters dark and still. The cliff wall beyond the pool has been crudely carved into a narrow stair that climbs out of the water straight up the bluff in a series of uneven steps. At the top of the stair, a dark opening with a great stone lintel leads into the cliff face.
As soon as you enter the box canyon, the spiraling path disappears, leaving a blank rock wall behind you.
"Right, feel that warm spring, our summer must be close!" Encouraged, but still cautious, Quinns scans the valley ahead.
"Infernal Crocodile must lurk in the depths of the pool. I'm presuming that height will allow us to bypass the waters, and allow us entrance through the dark opening?" Tsin moves forward, confident that they'll find a way across.
Apetir nods at Tsin’s words, knowing that now is the time for flight. He offers every companion that wishes it the gift of Fly, Mass.
Apetir flies up (about 50’ up) and looks in the pool for danger.
Perception
Pems accepts the gift and flies up with Apetir, looking around.
Looking over the water, Pems and Hektir don't see anything, but Quinn -- used to having to adjust for blur because of his overly enthusiastic consumption -- notices a massive form in the water. With red batlike wings, black scales, glowing red eyes, and a crest of red fur around its head and running down the center of its back, it only be the Infernal Crocodile.
It begins to writhe, clearly having noticed you as well.
"Look, a red bearded crocodile! Cayden help us!" Quinn proclaims as he blesses the party.
Each round for the duration of this spell, each of your allies can choose one of the following bonuses for that round at the beginning of its turn (their choice).
~ Increase its speed by 30 feet.
~ Stand up as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
~ Make one extra attack as part of a full attack action, using its highest base attack bonus.
~ Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.
~ Cast a single spell of 2nd level or lower as if it were an enlarged, extended, silent, or still spell.
Round 1, Init 15
AC = 26
HP = 202/202
Weapon Equipped = Sever
Condition(s) = Blessing of Fervor
Hearing the words weaving together to provide Cayden's Fervor, Tsin lets her spellguard down, allowing the magic to settle in.
"How fast do you think it is? For a creature of its size..." Tsin doesn't advance just yet, expecting that her companions will punish it for surfacing, when it inevitably does.
Pems likewise lets the spell affect him, and draws his pistol!
Quinn: 20
Pemsworth: 18
Tsin: 15
Malavarius: 13
Antagonist: 12
Hektir: 6
Pems and Tsin let Quinn's spell settle over him as Mal seems to suddenly realize there's a threat ("Great Joseph's hat!" he declares). He quickly casts, summoning his shield to protect him as he flies a bit away from the others, in case the infernal Infernal Crocodile can breath hellfire or some other sort of horrible thing one might expect of a creature with that name.
Meanwhile, the creature surges out of the water, taking to the air, before it speaks a word so horrible it blasts Tsin and Quinn.
IC: 2 rds., blasphemy
Tsin holds her position, a little too well.
Quinn hears the horrible word echo in his mind, "Sobriety!", and he freezes at the chilling thought.
Pems shudders as the beastly thing erupts.
He flies down toward the infernal chocodile and gives it an EVIL EYE!
Round 1
Apetir casts Freedom of Movement and then swoops behind the beast, trying to get into flank for Tsin, when she gets her mind back.
Tsin continues to hold her position, a little too well.
"Gadzooks! That's no crocodile, infernal or otherwise! Look at that monster!" Grumbling to himself and stammering as he stumbles through a host of spells, in the end he tugs on his beard in frustration and settles on watching the creature intently.
HP: 88/88
AC: 17 (11 T / 16 FF)
Fort: +9 // Ref: +10 // Will: +16 (+1 vs spells, SLAs, & Su abilities of evil arcane spellcasters)
Spell Resistance: 18
Resist 10: Cold
Energy Absorption: 0/48 absorbed
Displacement used: 0/15 rds
Pearl of Power I: 0/1 used
Pearl of Power III: 0/1 used
wand of scorching ray: 35/50 charges used
Cantrips Prepared (4): detect magic, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic
Level 1 Prepared (4+2+1): endure elements [X], feather fall [ ], identify [ ], mount [ ], protection from evil* [ ], mage armor [X], shield [ ]
Level 2 Prepared (4+2+1): glitterdust [ ], locate object [ ], protection from arrows [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]
Level 3 Prepared (4+2+1): dispel magic* [X] [ ] [ ] [ ], fireball [ ], haste [ ] [ ], magic weapon (greater) [X]
Level 4 Prepared (4+2+1): dimensional anchor [ ], dimension door [ ] [ ], fireball (intensified) [ ] [ ] [ ], remove curse* [ ]
Level 5 Prepared (3+1+1): break enchantment* [ ], dismissal [ ], lightning arc [ ] [ ], teleport [ ]
Level 6 Prepared (3+1+1): disintegrate [ ], flesh to stone [ ], greater dispel magic* [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 7 Prepared (3+1+1): banishment [ ], mage's sword [ ], mmm [ ], resonating word [ ], spell turning* [ ]
Level 8 Prepared (2+1+1): moment of prescience [X], protection from spells* [ ] [ ], mind blank [X]
Protective Ward used: 1/10
Ongoing Effects:
protection from arrows (everyone)
mage armor (Pemsworth)
greater magic weapon (Hektir)
moment of prescience (self)
mind blank (Tsin)
Quinn: 20
Pemsworth: 18
Tsin: 15
Malavarius: 13
Antagonist: 12
Hektir: 6
Quinn and Tsin freeze as the strange word hits them, but Pems and Hektir rush into action. As the former halfling curses him, the current ape swoops down behind him, only to suffer a vicious bite . Just as the creature's teeth would sink into his flesh and hold him tight, his magic takes hold and lets him slip free.
As Mal retreats , the infernal crocodile seems to follow, but instead moves toward Quinn, huge jaws snapping into the cleric's flesh. Strangely fortunately, though, its teeth sheer right through Quinn's muscle, not letting the massive creature get ahold.
IC: -4 to saves for 8 rounds, +4 to saves, +4 AC, SR 25 vs. good, ward vs. good
Quinn: Poisoned, 5 rounds?
"Blathering blatherskeit! What is with Baba Yaga's confounded obsession with all these thrice-blasted lizards!" Malavarius stamps his staff down forcefully and hopes Pemsworth's efforts are enough to open a gap wide enough for his own magics to work.
HP: 88/88
AC: 17 (11 T / 16 FF)
Fort: +9 // Ref: +10 // Will: +16 (+1 vs spells, SLAs, & Su abilities of evil arcane spellcasters)
Spell Resistance: 18
Resist 10: Cold
Energy Absorption: 0/48 absorbed
Displacement used: 0/15 rds
Pearl of Power I: 0/1 used
Pearl of Power III: 0/1 used
wand of scorching ray: 35/50 charges used
Cantrips Prepared (4): detect magic, open/close, prestidigitation, read magic
Level 1 Prepared (4+2+1): endure elements [X], feather fall [ ], identify [ ], mount [ ], protection from evil* [ ], mage armor [X], shield [ ]
Level 2 Prepared (4+2+1): glitterdust [ ], locate object [ ], protection from arrows [X] [X] [X] [X] [X]
Level 3 Prepared (4+2+1): dispel magic* [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ], fireball [ ], haste [ ] [ ], magic weapon (greater) [X]
Level 4 Prepared (4+2+1): dimensional anchor [ ], dimension door [ ] [ ], fireball (intensified) [ ] [ ] [ ], remove curse* [ ]
Level 5 Prepared (3+1+1): break enchantment* [ ], dismissal [ ], lightning arc [ ] [ ], teleport [ ]
Level 6 Prepared (3+1+1): disintegrate [ ], flesh to stone [X], greater dispel magic* [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 7 Prepared (3+1+1): banishment [ ], mage's sword [ ], mmm [ ], resonating word [ ], spell turning* [ ]
Level 8 Prepared (2+1+1): moment of prescience [X], protection from spells* [ ] [ ], mind blank [X]
Protective Ward used: 1/10
Ongoing Effects:
protection from arrows (everyone)
mage armor (Pemsworth)
greater magic weapon (Hektir)
moment of prescience (self)
mind blank (Tsin)
Round 2
Apetir 5' flaps closer and goes a$~%&&! on the croc.
to hit;
magic damage;
to hit;
magic damage;
to hit;
magic damage;
to hit;
magic damage;
to hit;
magic damage;
to hit;
magic damage;
[ dice=bite]1d20+22[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+22[/dice] magic damage;
[ dice=claw]1d20+22[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d4+22[/dice] magic damage;
[ dice=claw]1d20+22[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d4+22[/dice] magic damage;
HP 179/179
AC: 10 + 9 breastplate + 5 shield + 1 dex - 1 size + 3 deflection + 4 NA + 5 Barkskin: 36 AC
Resist 15/cold and fire; 10/good; resinous skin
Fort +17, Ref +10, Will +19; +4 vs. fey and plant-targeted effects
Immune poison
N Large animal
Init +3; Senses low-light vision, scent, ferocity
Strength: 26+4=29 (+10)
Dex: 14-2 = 12. +4 NA bonus
Speed 30+20=50 ft., climb 30+10=40 ft.
Melee: +12 BAB +10 Str +4 Amulet -4 PowerAttack = +22 to hit
Damage, bite: 1d6+10 (str) + 8 (PA) + 4 amulet = 1d6+22
Damage, claw: 1d4+10 (str) + 8 (PA) + 4 amulet = 1d4+22
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks rend (2 claws, 1d4+17)
Barkskin (extended-320 minutes)
Resinous Skin (extended-320 minutes)
Gr. Longstrider (16 hours)
Resist Fire (30) - minutes
Echolocation - 0 minutes
Endure Elements
Elemental Body 1 (druid lvl 6): Air elemental: If the form you take is that of a Small air elemental, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +2 natural armor bonus. You also gain fly 60 feet (perfect), darkvision 60 feet, and the ability to create a whirlwind.
Elemental Body 2 (druid lvl 8):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +4 size bonus to your Dexterity and a +3 natural armor bonus.
Elemental Body 3 (druid lvl 10):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +2 size bonus to your Strength, +4 size bonus to your Dexterity, and a +4 natural armor bonus.
Elemental Body 4 (druid lvl 12):Air elemental: As elemental body I except that you gain a +4 size bonus to your Strength, +6 size bonus to your Dexterity, and a +4 natural armor
AC: 7 armor + 3 shield + 2 dex + 1 ring +3 barkskin =26
HP 179/179 - DR5 piercing
[ dice]1d20+19[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]1d6+7[/dice] magic damage.
+12 BAB +8 Str + 1 Mwk = +21 to hit
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 16th; concentration +22)
. . 8th—summon nature's ally VIII (animals only)[D], sunburst (DC 24), word of recall*
. . 7th—animal shapes[D], fire storm (DC 23), heal, sunbeam (DC 23)
. . 6th—fire seeds* (2), mass fly*[D,APG] (DC 22), quickened resist energy (2)
. . 5th—beast shape III (animals only)[D], death ward, fire snake[APG] (2, DC 21), stoneskin, wall of fire
. . 4th—echolocation[UM], flame strike (DC 20), freedom of movement, life bubble[APG] (DC 20), slowing mud[*ACG] (DC 20), summon nature's ally IV (animals only)[D]
. . 3rd—daylight, fly[D], greater longstrider*, communal resist energy[UC], sleet storm, stone shape
. . 2nd—barkskin* (2), feather fall[D], fog cloud (2), resist energy* (2)
. . 1st—air bubble[UC], calm animals[D] (DC 17), liberating command[UC] (2), obscuring mist, produce flame (2)
Pems hits the Internal Chocodile with another hex: Ice Tomb!
Fort DC 26 Half - Failure entombs the victim.
Tsin ticks off various hypothetical situations unfolding before her unblinking eyes. In the periphery of her vision, she can see the monstrosity take a bite out of Quinn entirely against the paralyzed priest's will. She wonders how something that large didn't simply swallow the Caydenite whole, then stops herself from wondering, should she receive the same attention. The ring on her finger provides her small comfort, as she realizes that Quinn is on the verge of acting, while she remains entirely frozen in her position.
Why am I not surprised? We were warned about this beast, and very little could be done to prepare against it. Maybe earplugs. That might have helped. Hindsight and all. Ah, it will be nice to blink again.
Quinn strains against the magic holding him, not sobriety, NO, I can beat this! With a final effort he shakes the magic, pops from existence to appear behind Tsin, and breaks the enchantment holding her with a single word. "Summer!"
Round 2, Init 15, conveniently behind Quinn's...
AC = 26
HP = 202/202
Weapon Equipped = Sever
Condition(s) = BoF
Tsin regains herself immediately, her eyes blinking, resetting her vision upon the leviathan lizard. She summons the full of her attack, and begins her butchery, to the best of her ability. She parses out Animal versus Outsider, and petitions Pharasma for a Bane against Outsiders, capable of uttering such blasphemous things.
She steps forward, in front of the priest, and Lunges several times with Sever to see the thing dead in its waters. "Thank you, Quinn. I'll accept your Blessing, and swing an additional time at this monstrosity."
edit:
Quinn: 20
Pemsworth: 18
Tsin: 15
Malavarius: 13
Antagonist: 12
Hektir: 6
Quinn manages to free first himself and then Tsin, who lunges at the infernal crocodile. Severa manages to cut its flesh, though the fire doesn't seem to bother it at all. It's about to bite her when Pems brings ice down on it -- and freezes it!
IC: 104, -4 to saves for 8 rounds, +4 to saves, +4 AC, SR 25 vs. good, ward vs. good
"Hmph!" Baba Yaga pipes up. "Serves the stupid beast right."
Apetir beats his chest in frustration as his worthy combatant taken away from him. He glares at Pems, and then flicks his eyes to Quinn to see if the Alpha is also displeased.
Once the party is clear of the massive ice cube, Quinn expels some healing energy.
"Not much of a guardian, I hope the others are as rusty as this beast."
Pems shrugs. "Sorry, Apetir. Next time I'll let you ape it to your heart's content." He rolls his eyes.
Tsin heartens when she avoids the gnashing of the Infernal Crocodile's teeth. It was bad enough the thing could cripple her with its Words.
"Serves the stupid beast right."
"Agreed. Well done, master Pemsworth. The only foe we should directly confront is the Queen. Anything else is a tax on our strength, both physically and magically. Let's move on, shall we?"
Tsin takes the warmth of Quinn's healing as acknowledgement to take to the top of the stairs, and the dark opening sitting in the face of the cliff, stone lintel and all.
As you expected, when you enter the cave, you suddenly find yourselves elsewhere -- specifically, standing in the midst of a lonely, frigid steppe with a bitter wind howling out of the north. The sky is an endless leaden, overcast dome above a brown plain of frozen mud and dry grass.
As before, there's no sign of the cave entrance behind you.
"Ah, yes," Baba Yaga's voice issues forth again. "It is like my homeland, in the south of mother Russia. It was there I found an ancient burial mound -- a kurgan -- where I lived before I build my Dancing Hut.
"Now you must find my Kurgan," she continues. "It will be one day's travel, no matter how or which why you go. But my awful descendant has likely already been here and turned my guardians against her. Be wary too -- at least one native creature of the frigid steppes inhabits this demiplane. It never previously inconvenienced me, so I never bothered to hunt it down, but be wary."
At your questions, she explains it's a being of ancient evil that haunts the minds of mortals, driving them to desperation and, ultimately, cannibalistic madness.
It's a wendigo!
"You mean a wendigo?!? Did you think about maybe not installing monstrous psychopaths in your home dimension?!?"
A winnebago? What is that? Apetir turns his apy face to regard Pems, the gnomelingthing. He waits to hear more, or how to press on should the Alpha decide that’s what the tribe would be doing.
"Turned my guardians against 'me', or 'you', you mean. Elvanna is quite powerful, if she can thwart your loyalties, here in your Hut." When Pems inquires about Baba Yaga's inclinations, Tsin can only smirk briefly, before catching herself in the awareness that Baba Yaga can 'see' them at present.
"Any preparations we should take against this Wendigo, specifically? Can it be encased in ice again, or perhaps stone? Those are always welcome magics."
Tsin waits to begin their day's excursion, until everyone has prepared for the unavoidable conflicts with the guardians.
"It's a cannibal spirit. It makes you want to eat the flesh of your own kind. Real party animal, I assure you."
"Hmm. A wendigo... hmmm. You know, Pemsworth, I think you've got the right of it. Dreadful things. Just dreadful."
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Pems knows the wendigo regenerates, unless it faces fire. It resist spells, weapons that aren't cold iron and magical, and is completely immune to cold and fear. It can rend its victims with its frozen claws, grabbing them before tearing them limb from limb.
Worse, its howl can invoke fear in creatures up to a mile away and infect creatures with a psychosis that can in time turn them into wendigos themselves!
Its favorite color is red, but more specifically the red of steaming blood on a barren, wintry landscape. Which is close to crimson, but ever so slightly different.
Baba Yaga thinks it can be entombed ... for a time, at least.
"Must we assume there is no way other than confrontation with the wendigo? A day's travel, and there's no way to shorten it with direct teleportation, or cloaking ourselves in invisibility? If there is only one of it from Baba Yaga's memory, what's to say it hasn't created more, in her absence? Perhaps Elvanna made sure of it."
Tsin adjusts her armor, and prepares for a march, or a flight. Whatever sees them to the Kurgan.
At the talk of cannibalism Quinn eyes Apetir warily. "Let's start walking, it's a day of travel, no need to sit out here exposed."
Apetir follows Quinn, knowing who would eat who if given the chance.
If it doesn’t matter which way they go, as if they were on a small globe and must only reach that other side, he puts one ape foot in front of the other when his flying spell wears off.
You begin trudging -- Zeno helpfully pointing out it'd be much easier if you all had wings, like him -- and hours pass slowly and coldly. All too soon, the sun begins to set and darkness starts to descend upon you.
Apetir trudges on in the dreary landscape, not sure where they are actually going, but going along nonetheless. He’s ready to stop and rest in a nice magical mansion, if one exists.
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"Baba Yaga. Now that you've regained your voice, would you honor us with a story of your youth? We march to your Kurgan, something you pulled from your younger days. What did you find within the mound? What about it found a place in your heart to bring it into your Hut?" Tsin is eager for a distraction, as a day's trudging unfolds before them. She is genuinely interested in the morbid nature of burial grounds making their way into this demiplane, and somewhat interested in how old the witch could possibly be.
She allows her imagination to color a picture of Malavarius and Baba Yaga, two renowned mages of no little strength. While they walk, the swordswoman's steps are a bit lighter for it.
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Malavarius frowns at Zeno, "Oh, quit your complaining, you grumbling grouse! Do you have any idea how refreshing it is to just walk someplace? To walk and that be the only concern? No people-eating stoves, no wingless dragons, no vampire triplets, no elder deep ones? And do you know how long it's been since Baba Yaga has walked anywhere on her own two feet without taking some blasted magical shortcut?" The old mage huffs, tugging on his beard. "It's important to appreciate the mundane sometimes, even when a simple flap of a wing might make things more convenient."
He seems to have made his peace, but then after several minutes he blurts, "Besides! It doesn't matter how we travel or how quickly, it will take us a day, regardless!"
Tsin casts a side glance as Malavarius recounts several obstacles. "Well, our walk is likely being observed, correct? This wendigo must see us coming from miles away, for these steppes. It will simply wait for us to set up camp. Little does it know we have our own pocket place to rest safely..."
Tsin keeps her eyes to the darkening skies, and awaits the elder wizard's invitation to enter his domicile.
Apetir agrees with Zeno, but does not grunt in agreement loud enough to be heard. It’s certainly annoying to have something a day’s <something> away as no matter what you do, it’s still a day away. No walking, no speed, no nothing will get you there faster or more quickly: you must wait like a chump.
And so Apetir walks and waits like a chump, wondering why everyone else besides Zeno isn’t complaining up a storm as well. That bird is the only smart one among us.
Pems walks, but he keeps an eye on the sky, as well as watching Hektir to make sure he doesn't go all man-eating ape on anyone. Probably Quinn. He'd definitely eat Quinn first. There was something there, wasn't there? Pems was pretty sure he wasn't imagining it, but that ape had love in its eyes when it looked at Quinn.
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"It's hardly worth mentioning, is it?" Baba Yaga snaps back. "If it were interesting or a truly useful place, I never would have needed to make my hut. And even you -- with all your complaining -- must see how useful my hut is, no?"
Without her pleasant tales, you have little to distract you from your own thoughts and concerns as you march ... but that all changes as you start thinking about resting, when a howl splits the gloom, a forlorn sound that echoes across the steppes.
"Crikey. That thing's got pipes, doesn't it?" Pems offers.