On Abadar's Secret Service (Inactive)

Game Master James Martin

Ow...

With nowhere to run, Krupt takes advantage of Lena's tactical positioning and desperately tears at the giant with tooth and claw, seeking vulnerable tendons and arteries.

Claw #1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17 Damage: 4d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 3, 6, 5) + 6 = 24

Claw #2: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 Damage 4d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 3, 2, 4) + 6 = 19

Bite: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25 Damage 1d8 + 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (7) + (3, 1, 3) + 6 = 20

PLUS, 3 bleed.

Having begun his tale, assisting all his allies in their efforts to damage the giant, Songan again steps toward the beastly humanoid, trying to get into flanking position with one of the others and willing his magic into his longsword as he stabs the blade at the giant's belly.

Attack: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 2 = 25
Damage w/ Arcane Strike: 1d8 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 2 = 7

Update coming in the morning, after the cough medicine wears off...

Oh no, the dreaded lurgy!

No worries man, get better soon

Round 6:
23 Leralt
21 Songan
21 Lena
19 Catila
13 Gellius
10 Giant and Brain Crab

Leralt's sharp eyes see the crab disappear and react quickly, casting a spell to snare the creature! Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 However the crab is not feeling especially agile and a strange bulge appears in the middle of the web, not visible, but certainly affecting the strands of the web.

Songan's sword finds a weak spot in the marsh giant's flesh, opening a wound and spilling blood and the remains of some fishy meal onto the ground!

Lena's attack is repelled by the sudden, sickening smell of fish guts and bile, causing her attack to miss, while Catila moves invisibly to escape the fray. Her elemental attacks 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 and is able to hit due to Leralt's entrapping spell, dealing 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 damage!

Dr Krupt's tooth and nail attack sends the second giant to the grave, and as it falls, he turns his feral anger upon the crab struggling to escape its hollowed head!

The first crab, still invisible, struggles to escape its ensnarement! 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 Still its struggles are to no avail and the bulge in the web remains where it is! The second crab spends this round extracting itself from the dead giant and is clearly ready to escape!

Round 7:
23 Leralt
21 Songan
21 Lena
19 Catila
13 Gellius
10 Brain Crabs!

You're up! Both giants are dead and Brain Crab 1 is invisible and stuck in Leralt's web. Brain Crab 2 is perched atop the dead giant's head and looks scuttle-worthy.

Having spotten the thing he sends more bolts of force at it.

"You know you can always surrender. I can be reasoned with, or I can turn you into soup. Truth be told it matters little to me one way or the other."

Magic Missile vs Trapped Brain Crab: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 3, 1) + 3 = 11

"Likely they can't speak without a host body. Best watch for it to raise its claws in defeat," Krupt growls, his lips curling up over his fangs in a hideous grin.

He leaps up onto the body of the fallen giant, running its length to engage the crab, snatching at it with clawed hands. Grapple attempt: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Sensing that Gellius has that particular crab well in hand, Songan drops his sword in favor of his bow, taking aim at the lump in the web cast by Leralt before letting an arrow fly.

Ranged Arcane Strike: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Damage: 1d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 = 5

Leralt and Songan release arrow and spell upon the invisible, trapped enemy. It lets out a high pitched noise that only Songan's hearing can truly hear. Dr Krupt manages to leap atop the second brain crab, which begins struggling beneath him.

In your heads you hear a sudden high pitched whine, then words that resolve from the whine into coherent thoughts not your own. "Surrender? Yes, surrender! Give us the star-marked girl and we shall go! Give us the True Key! Give it to us!"

Lena and Catila are still up.

Star-marked girl? Hope? thought Lena as the strange voice shrieked in her mind. Struggling through the pain of her wounds and the high-pitched cacophony in her brain, Lena could only manage a grunted
"No.." as she dashed to Krupt's side and pierced the crab with her falcata as the doctor held it fast with his claws, using Songan's magical performance to aid her timing.

Falcata vs Grappled Crab: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 5 + 2 = 24 for damage: 1d8 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 1 + 2 + 2 = 12 plus sneak attack: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10 plus fire damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

finally! That's 25 damage total

Is it dead?

Not yet. Both crabs still hang on.

Songan, having nocked another arrow and already drawn the bowstring back, pauses, growling low in his throat both in the real world and in his thoughts. "Star-marked girl? Of what use is she to you?! She is just an ordinary human!"

Round 7:
23 Leralt
21 Songan
21 Lena
19 Catila
13 Gellius
10 Brain Crabs!

Leralt sends three new missiles of force at the invisible webbed crab, while Songan hits it with an arrow. Lena's fiery attack bites hard into the grabbed crab's hard shell, while Dr Krupt almost drops it from the shock of the attack.

The crab in the webs struggles: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 and the crab shaped lump in the webs suddenly disappears! The crab in Dr Krupt's hands shudders and lets out another mental whine, which resolves into words while it struggles to escape, unsucessfully.: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

"Yesss! Give us the True Key, cat-man! Not ordinary! Special! The Key to fit the Lock to release the Sleeping Fiend! The Priest calls for it, promisesss usss much power, wealth, glory if we brings it the True Key!"

Round 8:
23 Leralt
21 Songan
21 Lena
19 Catila
13 Gellius
10 Brain Crabs!

One crab is grappled by Dr Krupt, the other is invisible and free of the webs. Your go!

A number of emotional responses flash over the doctor's face as the crab speaks, ending in a scowl as he attempts to secure the thing against escape, growling. "Keep this one alive. I want to know more."

Pin attempt: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

About to land the killing blow on Krupt's grappled crab, Lena stops just in time after hearing the mutated doctor's call. With a stern gaze, Lena looks Krupt in the eyes
"You'd better be right"

Lena instead turns in a circle, sweeping the area in an attempt to spot the other crab while still keeping an eye on this one, her Falcata aflame with Abadar's glory ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Ready action to charge the invisible crab as soon as it is visible or the grappled crab if it breaks free of Krupt's hold

switch Judgement to healing for 2hp

The crab needs to make a second save if it moves within the web or gets grappled again. Even if it does make the second save its movement is effected sense the web is considered difficult terrain. Will Post after the result of the second save. ;)

No further lumps appear in the web. The web rustles, moving toward the edge, then is still.

Not about to let it escape just like that he sends an orange bead its way. Catching the edge of the web where it exited.

Fireball (Ref DC 19): 5d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 5, 2, 4) = 22

Web: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 1) = 2

If its still on the web then it takes damage from it as well.

Leralt's fireball explodes, giving no indication that it has harmed the invisible crab, but it does give Lena a brief glimpse of the outline of the thing! Lena, Go ahead and charge! You'll have a 50% miss chance, as the thing is still invisible.

Spotting the second crab trying to sneak away with her keen elven vision, Lena seizes the moment and lunges at it, falcata swinging in a vicious arc

Falcata: 1d20 + 5 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 2 + 2 = 15 for damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 plus fire: 1d6 ⇒ 1

DM, I'll let you roll the miss chance not that it will make much difference.... Where did I put that goat....?

Lena's swing cuts the air where she saw the movement, but clearly the thing has already moved on! The crab in Dr Gellius' arms struggles, but he pins it tightly, causing its shell to creak precariously. It lets out a mental squeal of pain! "I yield! I yield!"

Would Songan or Catila like to do anything? Also, Leralt, apologies if you took my words wrongly; it is hard to say something without giving anything away in a metagame fashion!

Songan extends a hand, aiming for a spot just out of Lena's reach, in the same direction that the brain crab was last moving in when they were aware of it's location, and mutters a few syllables in an arcane tongue, a large puddle of grease appearing just beyond Lena's feet; the catfolk is clearly trying to catch the brain crab in a puddle of it, if for no other reason than to make it leave greasy footprints when it leaves the puddle behind.

Cast Grease and center it so that the edge is adjacent to Lena, as close to the last place we saw the Brain Crab moving as possible.

Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 As Songan's spell erupts, there is a sudden splashing in the puddle, but no sliding and slipping.

Round 8:
23 Leralt
21 Songan
21 Lena
19 Catila
13 Gellius
10 Brain Crabs!

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

The captured crab seems to give up, but the grease proves no impediment to the invisible foe, as it soon skitters free of the puddle and is gone into the night.

For all purposes the crab is now gone. However, you have captured its mate...

"If someone would fetch me one of the larger specimen jars from the lab, we can give this crustacean a new home," requests the doctor, keeping his grip tight on the captive. Then his spits on the ground, his fanged mouth bloody. "Pfeh! And perhaps something to drink. Those giants taste like bad fish."

I take it that combat initiative/order is now over?

Panting with the effort and strain of the fight, Lena dismisses the flaming power on her falcata and sheaths the weapon. She directs Gellius' question towards one of the townsfolk, urging them to hurry to the lab to fetch a jar.

Meanwhile Lena tends to those injured during the fight, issuing a blessing from Abadar to her companions and herself.

cast cure light wounds on Gellius, Songan, Catila and myself

Gellius: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Songan: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Catila: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Lena: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Leralt you are uninjured no? I also have a cure moderate wounds left for whoever is still hurt the most

How are the townsfolk/People looking? Anybody need some first aid?

Yep Leralt is untouched.

Indeed, combat is over unless someone has a trick to catch an invisible speedy crab?

No jar can be found large enough to fit the crab, but a heavy iron cauldron is brought, complete with heavy iron lid. The crab is placed inside, where its mental hissing and shrieking is muffled, but not completely blocked!

Dont suppose my dispel magic would work?

Noting that Gellius' mutagen change will last the better part of an hour. It's a supernatural ability. I've been searching and I can't find anything that allows for it to be dismissed prior to the end of its duration, either in the alchemist write-up or in the rules for supernatural abilities.

Krupt finds a piece of cord to secure the lid to the top of the pot before relenquishing control of it. He gives a pleasing growl at the healing and nods his thanks to Lena. Then he'll track down the wolves and Hope after washing the giant blood from his hands and mouth.

Sorry! Back. Catila can't do much about the escaping crab, but we Do have a bunch of talking animals who should be able to track it by Scent, yes? Catila was down to 4hp, now she's at 12

Scowling in frustration as she fades back into sight, Catila quickly asks any of the People if they can track the missing crab's scent.

Clearly severely wounded, she smiles gratefully for any healing offered her.

Out loud she ponders "So they think Hope is this 'True Key'? And the 'Priest' most be that bas#@$d who froze us in time, the old mayor. If hope is as central to his plans as it seems, he's not going to give up on getting a hold of her. We need to find some secure way to protect her, and also to take the fight to him."

Leralt, the trick is you don't know where to aim the dispel and Pathfinder seems to have done away with the area dispel option. Save your spell; Catila's option is probably more useful.

Dr Krupt cleans himself, then the recently visible Catila and he track the wolves down to the angel's prison, where Hope is happily playing with a doll while Wolf licks Bear's wounds clean. Catila is able to enlist one of the lesser wolves that aid in the watching of the livestock; he heads off to gather a pack to hunt the brain crab.

Wolf and Bear nod at Dr Krupt when he appears. "We have kept Hope safe. Bear is sorely injured. Are the attackers dead?"

Guys, I will be heading out on vacation for the next week. My internet access will be spotty, so if I don't respond immediately, fear not! I will resume a normal posting rate on the 18th. Till then, thanks!

"Agreed" Lena says in response to Catila's musings "Protecting the girl should be our first priority. Whatever it is he wants with her, we can't let it happen. We should also consider making an attempt to track down this escaped crab. Hopefully it can lead us to their master"

Lena also offers Bear a blessing from Abadar to lessen his injuries
Cure Moderate Wounds: 2d8 + 4 ⇒ (7, 7) + 4 = 18

"Don't we already know its master, the same ones that are responsible for everything on this island."

He dust himself off.

"The only information that thing may have is the meaning of the mark and its involvement in the unsealing."

"We know who he is but not where he is. If the trail of the brain crab does not bear fruit then we could try the site of the Pale Guardians' lair. We still haven't looked there for clues"

Wolf and Bear nod at Dr Krupt when he appears. "We have kept Hope safe. Bear is sorely injured. Are the attackers dead?"

"Bear is not alone. The giants are destroyed. Return above and your wounds will be tended," Krupt replies. He turns to Hope, his eyes speculative and concerned. "Go with Wolf and Bear, little one. I will follow."

"I would also like to know more about what the one we've captured said. Hope obviously has some larger role to play in this, and I doubt it will be their last attempt at her. I want to know what makes her the True Key and what the Sleeping Fiend is."

Bear's wounds knit closed with Lena's blessing. Hope seems unconcerned by the attention and battle, clinging to Wolf's back and laughing delightedly.

The trail of the lumbering giants is not hard to follow, leading directly back to the sand where the pounding ocean surf has washed away any footprints. Still it seems they came directly out of the sea and did not make any attempt at stealth.

Tensions are high for the rest of the night, but eventually a guard is set and the colony settles in. Aside from the normal night noises, nothing else significant happens that evening.

Would you like to interrogate the brain crab before sleep or in the morning?

I think we should leave a guard on the crab pot and question it in the morning, after another round of healing. Yes, no?

Sounds like a plan to me. Maybe secure the lid of the pot, too. Even if it's a heavy lid, Songan would feel better about it they tied the lid down.

Already done.

Then let the thing stew.

Yeah I'm happy waiting until morning. I'll get my stern gaze and comprehend languages on

Assuming we get no other clues, shall we make an attempt on the Pale Guardians lair?

When morning comes the stew pot is still tightly secured and bound. However, when you open the lid, the pot is empty!

Krupt--bruised, battered, but otherwise his usual self-- stares down into the pot, looking nonplussed.

"Apparently our foes have abilities of obfuscation and subterfuge we did not anticipate from a crustacean."

"Rats"

Can I make some knowledge rolls to try and identify the creature now I've had a good look at it? Maybe even get an idea of its abilities?

Lena will also speak to Leralt while he's here about the possibility of him making a start on some magic items (armour and weapons as in the discussion thread).

The colony awakens much as normal, and people begin going about their days: farmers heading out to work the fields, herdsmen heading out with the flocks, fishermen heading out to cast their nets. There is a general sound of sawing and hammering as the breech caused by the marsh giants' arrival is repaired.