[PFC] GM Granta's Beyond Azlant Ridge (low) (Inactive)

Game Master Granta

Snowball, getting the command from his master to attack, dashes forward to the invaders.

Garn similarly continuing running down towards to invaders, coming up just beside his faithful companion as he stares down the creatures, trying to identify what they are.

@Amiri: You should read your GM's posts better :-P

@Garn: Identification spoilers were in the first post of the combat.

Maps

Round 2-3
Effects inspire courage +1, bless

• Snowball
  
• Amiri
  
• Miriel
  
• Nerisiel
  
• Garn
  
• GM
  
• Leena

Snowball, Amiri, Miriel, and Garn charge the monkeys.

Leena and Nerisiel are up.

Leena dashes forward, trying to keep up with her fellow Pathfinders as well as reach the fallen.

"Monkey men and baboons, catch they like to play!
But Snowball is a cat He only catches prey!"

Maps

Round 3-4
Effects inspire courage +1, bless

• Snowball 7 damage
  
• Amiri 5 damage
  
• Miriel
  
• Nerisiel
  
• Garn
  
• GM
  
• Leena

Leena's short legs work overtime to follow the taller folk. Nerisiel also runs after the fighters, singing another line of verse. Snowball takes two bites from the monkeys, and Amiri suffers a rock to head.

Everybody is up.

Struggling to reach the fight, Miriel disappears into the big bush in her way. Still, her location is clear from her shouts: "I'll make a paintbrush from your tail!"

Rushing forward, Leena raises her butterfly symbol high, not caring if she heals the enemy by accident. "Desna, keep us from the Boneyard this day!"

Channel: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 6) = 11

The rock collides with her head, sending her over the edge. That's it...

With a bloodthirsty roar, Amiri Flies into a rage and descends upon the monkey in front of her!

Nerisiel moves forward and draws her whip as she continues her song "Monkey men you will fall. Pathfinders will stand tall" then tries to pull reds feet from under him

Sorry if it isn't clear but Snowball's total AC is 24 right now (18 base, +4 mage armor, +2 barkskin). So all the attacks on him missed. I keep the temp AC adjustments separate, so that I can easily remove them when they're over. If it's confusing, I'll change them.

Following his master's last command, Snowball rips into the nearest enemy, the strange ape-looking humanoid in front of him.

Garn focuses his attention on the ape-man, ignoring the baboons, swinging down his magically enhanced club on the nearest one.

If the yellow falls Garn will command Snowball to attack the other ape-man.

@Snowball: Ah! Got it now. Actually, I think I like your way better. I always worry that I'll forget to change my stat lines back after buffs expire.

Maps

Leena heals everyone: friend, foe and archaeologist. It takes all three attacks, but Snowball turns a charau-ka into dinner. Amiri slices an enormous cut along the other monkey man's torso. Miriel draws closer to the fight. Nerisiel then trips the creature for Amiri. Garn drops the first baboon, then points Snowball at the remaining charau-ka.

The last monkey man breaks Amiri's knee, but falls unconscious with the effort, and the remaining baboon flees.

Combat Over!

Commanding Snowball to heel, Garn quickly kneels beside each of the archaelogist to check on their status. He is pleased to see that Leena's magic had saved all of them. He then turns to search the bodies of the charau-ka to find any clues of why they attacked the site.

Amiri feels a searing pain in her knee, stars flashing in her eyes, as the monkey crushes her knee. Fortunately, Leena's healing quickly follows and the pain subsides.

"Anything on the corpses? How many of our own fell?" She sheathes her sword while taking in the scene.

"You filthy..., Miriel starts another taunt as she rushes out of the bush as the ape-men fall from the pathfinders' blows. She looks around, baffled, as no enemies are around anymore. "Ah. Well. Good. I think", she stutters, trying to collect her calm. Then, remembering the fallen archeologists, she springs into action and runs to help them. "Oh, our poor friends! Please, how have you been hurt?"

While helping the archaeologists, she glances at Amiri. "You misinterpreted me earlier, good lady. It wasn't anger, just a sincere concern and love for our friends", she explains her actions. She turns back to the archaeologists, muttering quietly: "Love and concern. Exactly, nothing more. First tenet. I am peaceful."

Garn doesn't find anything useful or insightful among the bodies of the charau-ka, just crude clubs and polished throwing rocks. Several archaeologists fell unconscious during the fight, but Leena's healing avoided any deaths.

Happ Voltz appears momentarily, obviously having rushed from wherever he was. "Thank you! I see you've already healed my companions. Please, help me make sure there are no more injuries, then I can answer all of your questions." Oh my! If these adventurers hadn't shown up, we would all be dead. We need to get out of here as soon as possile!

"Happ my good man. When did Juliet set off on this expedition and who went with her. I believe our plan is to go after Juliet rescue her from whatever scrape she has got herself into and bring her back here. At that point we review the status of this expedition but I think it unlikely to be staying. Make sure you are packed and ready to go for when we get back. Any suggestions or improvements to that plan are most welcome" These last few words are more spoken to the rest of the party rather than Happ

"I know what I saw princess. You can call it what you like, but we both use it the same way." HA now this is rich. An angry paladin, what good fortune. At least she isn't weak.

Amiri rolls her eyes at the prolonged conversation. "Let's just go get her then, the plan sounds good enough to me," she says, very uninterested in wasting more time talking and not getting the job done. Talking until we are blue in the face isn't going to help us any. I could be halfway there by now!

"Is anyone still hurt?" Leena calls, crawling out of the brush with holy symbol raised high.

"I agree with good Nerisiel here. Prepare for departure, while we follow Juliet's trail. If we don't return in time, make leave. I don't know how long it should take, do you have any approximation of how far the mystic goal of the expedition is?" Miriel says to Hopp while starting to get ready for the journey.

"A few weeks ago, a steady white light appeared in the Terwa Uplands. Juliet took six archaeologists to investigate. Although the light appeared to be only a day or so away, nobody has returned yet.

"It will take you at least two days to get to the light and back, and we are leaving first thing in the morning. I hope you find our friends and bring their bodies back for their families, but we are not adventurers. We're leaving as soon the camp is packed up."

Happ hands a small leather satchel to Fargrim, "These are the things that Juliet left behind, can you bring them to her? I'm sure she won't mind you making use of them while you head out to rescue her. If she's still alive, that is."

It is easy to follow the monolith's trail of trampled vegetation, but you do occasionally need to search for a different path, as the golem's size allows it to traverse obstacles and terrain that you cannot.

You need to make a series of three Knowledge (geography) or Survival checks.

Cowards, the lot of you. Don't need to be a fighter to be brave. "So be it. We will return within a few days," Amiri says curtly to the archaeologist.

"Unless one of you is better at wandering through jungle, I suppose I'll take point. Don't forget to take your slippers off Princess, jungles have dirt and other 'icky-yucky' things within." If she gets angry again, I can show her how much more effective it is to not pretend to be so proper.

"Here Amiri This will always point north" Nerisiel offers her wayfinder to Amiri

@Nerisiel: Yes, the bonus is relevant for this check. The option for Knowledge (geography) says to me that you are trying to avoid getting lost, rather than following tracks.

As the party sets out, Garn quietly scans the land to determine the right path. He is rather unfamiliar with the terrain, however, having spent much of his life in the cold tundra of the north.

"It will take you at least two days to get to the light and back, and we are leaving first thing in the morning. I hope you find our friends and bring their bodies back for their families, but we are not adventurers. We're leaving as soon the camp is packed up."[/b]

"If you're not adventurers, then why are you taking off into the wilderness without us?" Leena frowns at Happ. "Miriel's idea makes more sense. We go get Juliet and come back, then we all leave together. Strength in numbers after all!"

"Garn, you can lend mine. Better to have two pairs of keen eyes finding the path than just one", Miriel says to Garn and hands him her wayfinder.

Miriel snorts at Amiri's comment, and stomps to the jungle vegetation. She disappears into the jungle for a moment, then after a moment of muffled searching there's a pleased "Aha!" and Miriel returns holding two almost identical leaves. "I am well aware of what the jungle contains, thank you. See, this leaf here, it is quite harmless, if eaten. Maybe not for culinary or nutritional values, but safe. On the other hand this, almost identical except for the variance in the veins, is poisonous and may cause severe symptoms if ingested. And look, it even has an 'Icky thing'! A caterpillar, a larva for a blue butterfly, with quite formidable spikes but again completely harmless and actually very beautiful", she holds an agitated speech about the leaves. She lets the caterpillar to crawl on her shoulder and then waves the leaves at Amiri's face. "So I know what's in the jungle!" she finishes with a shout. She walks away, throwing the leaves dramatically on the ground and gets purposefully close to Garn, asking him: "So, what is our heading, my friend?"

Taking 10 for 17 in know: nature just for showing off.

"Well that's why they send us all together!" Leena pipes in, only breathing a little heavier as she keeps pace with the larger Pathfinders. "We all know different things, so all together we know all the things! Or close anyway."

@Leena: Amiri actually had some damage when you asked. One wand charge would be enough to take care of it.

Maps

Round Surprise
Effects none

• Amiri
  
• Nerisiel
  
• Garn
  
• Leena - surprised
  
• GM
  
• Snowball
  
• Miriel

Amiri and Garn both navigate the jungle without any difficulty. Toward evening, you reach the bottom of a high hill choked with tough grasses. Atop it stands an enormous vine-covered ruin of granite blocks. The upper levels of the ruin are collapsed, exposing a balcony upon which a shining ivory sphere is plainly visible. A narrow path between the tumbled blocks leads into the ruin. The sound of steady pounding, as of metal on stone, rings from deep within the structure.

Amiri, Nerisiel and Garn are up. Surprise action only.

"Watch out for the hydra, from afar it can bite ya!
Be ready for the fight, That snake has poison bite!"

This is still the first day right? so no refresh of spells and perform rounds

My bad, I thought her previous channel was after I took damage so I didn't say anything.

Amiri sneers at Miriel after her little performance. Leaves are hardly the worst of our concerns. Easily angered though, this is good... "Try not to get too far behind," she says as she makes her way through the jungle.
Give in to your anger. With each passing moment you make yourself more my servant! >:)

Seeing the multi-headed creature fumbling around, trying to get the jump on them, Amiri lets out a battle cry and charges forward. Size means nothing when you have RAGE!

"Watch it!" Garn shouts out in warning. While he gestures Snowball to attack the hydra, he continues, "I do not know of the many-headed beast, but that snake, its mental resilience is low."

Garn then steps forward and once again, calls upon his divine connection to the natural world to strengthen his club.

@Nerisiel: Yes, first day still.

@Amiri: I run combats in initiative order, not posting order, so inspire courage isn't active on your turn.

Maps

Round Surprise - 1
Effects inspire courage +1

• Amiri - 14 damage
  
• Nerisiel
  
• Garn
  
• Leena
  
• Green - charged
  
• Red - 21 damage
  
• Snowball
  
• Miriel

Amiri suffers a wicked bite as she approaches the large creature, but delivers an even more devastating return strike. Nerisiel begins a rousing verse, while Garn strengthens his club and directs Snowball to attack.

The small snake snaps out at Amiri, who easily dodges the bite. The large creature's wounds start to seal themselves up, and it takes another bite out of Amiri's side.

Snowball and Miriel can act in the surprise round. Everybody else gets a full action in round 1.

Miriel notices the large creature, and not recognizing it, hopes for a peaceful confrontation: "Wait, maybe we can...", but too late. Seeing her companion getting bit and recognizing the venomous snake, she flares up again. "Keep your ugly poisons off her, or I'll use your skin as a canvas!", she curses and moves forward, drawing her blade.

Arcana: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

"That snake is just too big!" Leena complains, raising her holy symbol high once more, the burst of positive energy radiating out from about waist high on the rest of the party.

Channel: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2) = 7

"We know what we all hate, Foes that regenerate" Sings Nerisiel as she moves to get behind the creatures

Although he looks askance at the huge unnatural creature in front, as the obedient pet that he is, Snowball charge straight towards the hydra as commanded.

With a few of the party engaging the hydra, Garn turns his attention to the snake. He circles around the hydra to close in, smashing his magically enhanced club on the snake. "Begone you foul beast!"

DM, Roger that!

Prodigious size alone does not dissuade the sharpened blade! Amiri shifts her weight and spins in a tight circle, sending the overlarge blade crashing again into the fiend!

Hearing Miriel's words, her face contorts into confusion. Is she... defending me? "I can feel your anger. It gives you focus... makes you stronger!"

@Nerisiel: If you click on the downward triangle next to the diagonal line on the toolbar, there is an arrow function. Check the map to see how I drew your movement.

Maps

Snowball runs up, trading bites with the enormous snake-thing. Miriel follows her allies into combat, sword in hand. Amiri quickly finishes off the huge monster. Nerisiel flanks around the combat, but Garn quickly finishes the smaller snake.

Combat Over!

As the last enemy falls, Miriel drops her blade and hurries to check Amiri's wounds. "Where did it bite you? Is the pain worse than usual? Anyone, do you know if that beast is venomous?" she blurts as she tries to determine the nature of the hydra's bite.

There was no fort save so no poison but ic she doesn't know.

At the same time, Garn walks over to examine the nasty bite on Snowball's shoulder. Ascertaining that there's no poison, he withdraws his wand and uses it to restore his pet.

Perplexed, Amiri points to her wounded thigh. This affection is throwing me off. Why isn't she angry with me? I berate her at every turn. "Let me guess, you know of a magical shrub that can fix bites? Can even tell the difference between that shrub and another?"

"What?" Miriel asks angrily. She stops her examination, closes her eyes and takes a few slow, deep breaths. Calmed, but still with a hint of irritation she continues: "The herbal healing is in most cases far too slow for such fast venoms as snakes use. I was considering the alchemical solutions we acquired before embarking this journey, a fact that clearly slipped your mind. Magical remedies would be even stronger and faster, but those are still beyond my skills. Still, your behaviour is as disrespecting as usual, so I presume the wounds are not hurting especially badly."

Miriel pulls out a wand, touching Amiri's wounds with it. "Now, the artistic and beautiful divine power I channel is much diluted because of coming through a wand, so you don't need to worry it disrupting your ... style", she says, eyeing the rugged woman from head to toe, and the wounds close when the wand touches them.

Nerisiel stabs the hydra a couple of times to be sure its dead "I hate monsters that regenerate. Now does it have a lair nearby where we may find stuff of value?" She cleans off her dagger and begins to look for a lair or even signs of archaeologists.

Maps

Nerisiel does not find a lair nearby, just the granite ruins atop the hill. Entering the ruins, you find a room whose high walls are made of enormous blocks of crumbling, mossy granite, but its roof is entirely absent, leaving it open to the sky. Folding tables and makeshift scaffolds have been set up around the room, and the walls have been carefully cleaned and labeled, revealing a mosaic depicting sway-backed, one-eyed astronomers at the base of a tall tower.

An opening leads to the east, below a high balcony topped with a huge ivory sphere. Doors leading north into the hill have been smashed open to reveal a wide hall.

Seven archaeologists are engrossed in their work, clearing the rubble and cataloging their finds. One walks up to you with a big smile and offers her hand to each of you, ”Hi, I’m Juliet! Are you here to help us?”