ProfPotts' Serpent's Skull PBP

Game Master Alexander Scott

"Then so be it."

And will point at Chulla, before swapping to the more primal tongue:

Once Chulla leaves and disappears out of sight, Aerodus will start to gather the bodies of the fallen. After they are gathered, he will go over them to see if they have anything special on them, before gathering something flammable to burn the bodies with.

Sitting quietly beneath a tree, Shisa keeps her eyes on the trail and her ears perked, listening and watching. Her hand tightens on her bow as the native walks past her. With slow deliberate motion, she quietly raises her bow and draws the arrow back until her thumb rests against her cheek, aiming at the man's back as he heads down the path..

Taki grins as Aerodus talks to Chulla... for his part, Chulla glares at the paladin, but then glances at Taki, smiles, and heads off up the path at a jog...

The three dead cannibals don't appear to have much of anything on them - just their substandard weapons, and the red pearl amulets they each wear. As Aerodus makes his preparations to cremate the three, Gelik shakes his head,

'If good Sir Aerodus's efforts to conquer the island are done for the moment, is there any chance we could continue on to see if this ship is really the Nightvoice or not?' he asks, rolling his eyes as he watches the paladin work, 'Or, perhaps, we're going to stop and have a funeral for every soul who happens to get himself decapitated, hmmm? That is, if we don't manage to burn down the jungle first...'

'Jungle not easy to burn,' Taki helpfully explains... completely missing the sarcastic tone of the gnome's words, 'and Taki think that Iomedae like her food roast, yes?' she grins at Aerodus, obviously pleased with her theological insights...

Silently watching the native jog down the road, Shisa finally relaxes and slowly lets the tension out of her bow. With a shrug, she continues to watch the trail until the smell of smoke reaches her nose.

"What the.. don't tell me the knight is sending up smoke signals now," she whispers to herself as she shifts her weight quietly to let the circulation back into her legs. Reaching up to push the hair back from her face, she lets out a long sigh. "I bet he's cooking supper for their return.. or maybe for his native girl." She grins at the thought as her eyes continue to scan the trail before her.

"If it can prevent them from coming back as vengeful ghouls, we can afford the delay. Lest you are able to conjure up something to make this quicker." He retorts while he is working on his task.

Once the bodies are hopefully burning, he will gather his things, throwing them over his shoulder. "Now that they may find eternal rest. Let us find your missing ship, sir scribe."

At the mention of Iomedae engaging in the act of cannibalism, he will quickly correct the priestess: "The Inheritor does not eat their souls, but takes those who are worthy, and allows them to serve at her side for all eternity." He finishes wistfully, his hands absent mindedly stroking his bracelet.

"If it can prevent them from coming back as vengeful ghouls, we can afford the delay. Lest you are able to conjure up something to make this quicker."

'Ask the wizard,' Gelik retorts, gesturing towards Marik, 'I don't really do "blasting"... of any type of body disposal...' he frowns, then adds, '... actually, maybe it's more Mistress LeCroix's line of work - I'm sure she's disposed of a few unwanted corpses in her time...'

"The Inheritor does not eat their souls, but takes those who are worthy, and allows them to serve at her side for all eternity."

'Taki not understand,' Taki replies, a look of confusion on her face, 'what Aerodus mean "soul"? Iomedae not eat meat? How they serve at her side if Aerodus keeps burning them?'

It takes a good hour or so for Aerodus to fashion pyres and get them lit, but eventually he's got the bodies burning.

Once everyone's ready to move on I'll just need a marching order and the usual Perception roll from the pointman... and anything else you want to do, naturally...

Shisa will take the point again. We get into less trouble that way ;) Ok, so there were super ghouls.. and a few kraken spawn.. and a ghost or two.. but really, who's counting?

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Aerodus is happy to follow near the middle of the pack 10-25 feet behind, in discussion with Taki about the afterlife and how it works. (or at least his belief how it works) also.. bit funny that she probably has a much higher Int score than him, but she is just not traditionally schooled.

"A 'soul' is what is left of you after you pass on from this world. So, once you die, your soul is released to serve whatever deity you worship. By burning the bodies, they should not be able to come back as undead, but their spirits should be free to serve."

Tony is happy to be second, stealthily following along...

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Perception:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

" I'm afraid, like Master Gelik, that 'blasting' magic is not my forte. My studies were more focused on learning and discovery than on destroying things or even magic focusing on negative energies. My interests lie elsewhere."

" I'm afraid, like Master Gelik, that 'blasting' magic is not my forte. My studies were more focused on learning and discovery than on destroying things or even magic focusing on negative energies. My interests lie elsewhere."

'Good to hear,' comments Gelik, 'this place is dangerous enough without some damn fool wizard blasting everything in sight...'

"A 'soul' is what is left of you after you pass on from this world. So, once you die, your soul is released to serve whatever deity you worship. By burning the bodies, they should not be able to come back as undead, but their spirits should be free to serve."

Taki seems fascinated by the concepts Aerodus is describing. She seems to have some basic idea of what 'spirits' are, but the idea of an afterlife... beyond ghouldom under the ground with Mother Thrunefang... or being eaten so that one's earthly strength is shared with the rest of the tribe... appears to be new and exciting to her as she pays careful attention to what the paladin is saying, only interupting to ask for clarification of a few key points here and there...

About a mile more along the path, Shisa spots another of the traps...

DC 15 Disable Device to 'de-activate' it... or you can just chose to avoid it, now you know where it is...

Shisa walks in silence with her eyes in constant motion. The events of earlier still try to force their way into her thoughts and she must constantly push them back in order to concentrate on the task at hand. Fortunately for her, she is able to sort her thoughts just in time to spot yet another trap in time.

She pauses on the trail and holds up a hand to Tony. "We've another one. Don't move," she says as she sets her pack down nearby to mark its place. Walking back to the others, she tells them quietly to hold their place, then looks over at the diminutive gnome. "Well Master Gelik, I think I can clear the tab and call it even. If you'd follow me, and do not pass where I stop, you can sketch a trap before it has been sprung. Once you are done, I will disable it so we can pass." She ruffles the man's hair yet again before spinning around to return to her pack, a wide grin on her face.

Once Gelik is finished: Disable Device (Take 10) 10 + 6 = 16

If needed to Expound upon his lecture

Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15

Aerodus will hold back and let the 'scouts' do their work.

forgot the perception roll for when we continue to move down the trail..

perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

"Well Master Gelik, I think I can clear the tab and call it even. If you'd follow me, and do not pass where I stop, you can sketch a trap before it has been sprung. Once you are done, I will disable it so we can pass."

'Well, at least you remembered that I...' Gelik begins, but is cut short by Shisa's cruel assault on his coiffure as, with a resigned sigh, he casts a quick cantrip to set it back into impecable style, 'I ask you,' he mutters as he hunkers down to begin sketching the trap, 'who'd be a gnome...'

After Master Gelik has recorded the trap in his journal, and Shisa has disarmed it, the group travel a little under a mile further down the path, Aerodus expounding Taki for all he's worth... Is that what the kids are calling it these days..? ;)

Arriving at a 'T' junction, the path leading north and south, Taki points up the northern branch, and about a half hour later the group find the path emerging onto the shore of the Shiv. High on the beach, above the tide line, lies what looks to be an abandoned campsite of unusual design - almost like a series of partially ruined 'nests' made out of palm fronds and driftwood. A large number of thin, serrated, sabre-like swords, as well as daggers, all broken, litter the place, scattered around as if there'd been a fierce fight here sometime in the past...

Taki points along the shoreline to the west,

'We follow to island of little men,' she explains, then looks at the ruined camp and adds, 'bird men from big boat camp here - taste really good!'

Walking over to a pile of driftwood, Shisa removes her pack and sets it down then sits on the wood pile. "Ah, it feels good to take a load off for a bit. Nice view, but I wonder what happened here, with all these scattered weapons and such. What a story to be told, eh?" She looks around, reaching up to push the hair back from her eyes before turning to crouch in front of her pack and begins rummaging around in it.

Pulling out one of her remaining rations, she breaks off a bit and sits back down to enjoy a quick bite to eat while stretching out her legs to relax for a short while.

Tony also sits down for a break, luxuriating in the fresh air after the close humidity of the jungle and fanning himself with his hat. Idly he picks up one of the swords, wondering at its make and model, and how long it's been here (rust?)

Knowledge Local: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Solves that problem!

Noting the large amounts of weaponry lying around, and the others taking a breather. Aerodus will take the time to assemble a portion of weapons into a small mound. "At least they went out fighting." He mutters, before kneeling and placing one hand on the mound; the other to the sword cross of the Inheritor.

His prayer for the fallen done, he rises and rearranges his backpack. "There is nothing more we can do for the fallen, we should continue on."

"Ah, it feels good to take a load off for a bit. Nice view, but I wonder what happened here, with all these scattered weapons and such. What a story to be told, eh?"

'Indeed,' murmurs Gelik as he looks over the remains of the camp.

"At least they went out fighting."

'I'm sure that must have been a great comfort to them,' Gelik retorts, 'especially when your lady friend was eating them...'

"There is nothing more we can do for the fallen, we should continue on."

Gelik does his best to repress a smile as he watches Aerodus's prayer. Only after the paladin has finished does he mention,

'These swords are sawtooth sabres - used exclusively by the Red Mantis Assassins... I'm not sure that prayers to the Inheritor will do much to comfort their souls, considering they're known to be fanatical worshippers of their own mantis god... but I'm no theologian...' he shrugs, then gestures towards the 'nests', adding, '... also, between these things and what young Mistress Taki said, it sounds like this particular crew of "big boat people" were tengu - raven-men who are natural thieves and trained from birth in swordplay... excellent candidates for assassins, one would imagine...'

'Yes,' Taki nods, 'bird-men very good with swords... but Thrunefang hunters kill all in end, and we eat well for long time...'

Assuming everyone agrees to carry on...

After about an hour of following the shoreline, the narrow beach of white sand broken up by outcroppings of rock which have to be scrambled over, the salt spray of the sea making the footing uncertain and the going slow (although still considerably faster than trying to slog through the dense jungle), the group spies an unusual sight up ahead: the waves are crashing onto a sandy stretch of beach, swirling around an immense red and orange crab the size of a small house that crouches there on spiny legs, blocking the way you wish to go...

A few moments after you spot the giant crab, its pincers start to rise and fall, its legs twitch, and its stalked eyes wriggle and shift...

"Assassins, bird-men, cannibals, ghouls and ghosts, this island keeps getting better. Maybe the crew of the Nightvoice fared better than these folk, since the locals avoid that region." He adds hopefully.

Taking in the sight of the huge creature, Aerodus will state the obvious while drawing his blade from its scabbard, and readying his shield: "That, is a very big crab."

They're baaaaaacccckkk...."

'Yes, bird-men very good with swords... but Thrunefang hunters kill all in end, and we eat well for long time...'

Stuffing the last bite of her trail ration into her mouth, she mumbles under her breath, just loud enough for Tony to hear, "I bet everything tastes like tengu..". Standing, she begins checking the contents of her pack to ensure everything is securely stored so as not to make too much noise.

"Assassins, bird-men, cannibals, ghouls and ghosts, this island keeps getting better. Maybe the crew of the Nightvoice fared better than these folk, since the locals avoid that region."

"Ah, now you're just being paranoid Aero," she says as she stands shouldering her pack. "At least we made it this far."

Grabbing her bow, she once again takes point and continues to walk down the beach. She stops suddenly when she spots the huge beast in front of them. "Ok Aero, I take back my comment about your paranoia. This thing is huge."

She takes a moment to look around the huge crab, trying to find a way to best approach it or to get around it altogether.

perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

"I think we can take it!" He whispers to the others, shaking with anticipation. "We would also be able to eat like kings!" He adds as an after thought.

Tony plays around with the discarded sabers, until...

"These swords are sawtooth sabres - used exclusively by the Red Mantis Assassins..."

Tony then drops it like it was burning and wipes his hands on his jacket, fearing poison of some kind.

"I bet everything tastes like tengu.."

Tony snerks, then suppresses his grin.

At the appearance of the crab, Tony whips his blade out.
"Emperors beard! Sir Aerodus, are you sure this isnt too much for us to bite off?"
He swollows loudly.

"It's battle, or we lose time diverting through the jungle and who knows what awaits us."

Is there a /CON command? Maybe a knowledge check? to find out how bad this idea is?

Knowledge Giant Crab: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (16) - 1 = 15 5 Over my knowledge limit :(

Is this thing moving, or just standing still, blocking our path? I'd rather avoid combat if possible.. or find a weakness before attacking. Don't want to smell like Isle poo goo again for a while anyways.. :) Even if I have to take 20 (providing there's no threat / distraction) to watch it a bit.

'Sooo...' Gelik offers, quietly, '... after you, Sir Aerodus?'

Lovely... just lovely!

Looking back at the others over his shoulder, Aerodus eyes glow with a maniac's zeal. "I think it's some sort of....monsterous ghoul crab! Probably raised through some dark ritual or by whatever haunts this island. By the Inheritor, let's purge it from these tainted shores!!"

As he slowly approaches the beast, Aerodus will have his shield at the fore to try and deflect its massive claws. Waving his companions forward, he hisses "Strike while I distract the beast!" while readying his blade for a counter attack.

If possible Aerodus will give the others time to prepare actions (suprise round sneak/spells/etc) before he makes his valiant assault.

Positioning himself away from the party (off to the side if doable) He shouts to the creature to get its attention: "Come Foul Spawn of the sea, meet your end by my blade!" As he waves his sword in a threatening matter.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 3 - 4 = 3 -4 because Aerodus is smaller than Giant Ghoul Crab. Don't Think he is threatening...nothing.

Fighting Defensively! (-4 Attack Roll, +2 Dodge AC) For a 21 AC total.

And so marked the end of the paladin... struck down by the Law Clawer!

As Aerodus starts forward to the crab hoping to distract it, Shisa's eyebrows furrow in thought a moment. With a raised eyebrow, she looks at the others and says, "Anyone notice this thing's not moving? Other than they legs and claws, the body hasn't moved a bit. Perhaps it's stuck. If so, why not just go around it?"

Hearing Aerodus' bellowed challenge to the beast, she laughs. "Or not." Shaking her head, she pushes the hair from her eyes and tries to flank the creature, keeping her eyes scanning over the creature, trying to find a weakness or a reason the huge beast hasn't moved.

Tony works himself around to a flanking position. He takes his locket out, kisses it and says a little prayer to Cayden Caillean.

When the time comes to attack...
Charge attack: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 4 + 2 = 20 for a possible 1d8 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 2 + (4) = 12 piercing damage.

Perception check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Knowledge (nature): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Marik stares unbelieving at the creature before them. Wracking his brain he is unable to bring up any information on a crab this size.

Seeing Aerodus's mad rush at the crustacean he shakes his head "No chance to avoid this, then?"

As Shisa and Tony move round the monstrous crab in a wide circle, Aerodus brazenly edges forwards to challenge it...

"Come Foul Spawn of the sea, meet your end by my blade!"

Seeming to ignore the two rogues, the gigantic crustacean remains stubbornly fixed in position and facing Aerodus, its legs jittering and its claws flailing menacingly as it begins to utter inhuman wailing sounds... Finally, Aerodus edges into range of the sweeping claws - and nearly has his head taken off by one as it swings a heavy, but lazy, blow towards him which the paladin manages to duck under...

Meanwhile, Tony charges the beast's rear, spiriting forwards, his blade striking the thing's hard shell with a clear ringing sound...

Startled, Tony will quietly pull back far enough to get line of sight to Shisa and Aerodus. He will throw a rock if neccessary to attract their attention and motion for them to come around to the back end where he is.

As the rock goes whizzing past his helmet, Aerodus will turn and give Tony an odd look, hesitating a moment, before nodding and trying to duck any further blows (Move out of Range if possible and head around) as he heads in Tony's direction.

NOoooo way Aerodus can tumble past a Giant Crab.

Keeping her eyes on the behemoth, Shisa moves to circle it but catches Tony waving her over. Cutting wide to stay out of the reach of the claws, she runs over to where Tony is standing. "What's the plan? Did you find a weakness?" she asks stopping next to him. She grins as Tony flips a rock at Aerodus. [b]"You know, you'll need a bigger rock."

She laughs as she watches the projectile fly past Aero's head. "Aim's a bit off too. You missed," she teases while waiting for Tony to fill her in on what he has in mind.

Still bemused, Tony puts his finger to his lips and silently points up to the back end of the giant crab.
There you can see it seems nothing less than the hollowed out shell of a giant crab, with cunningly fashioned ropes and pullies tied to its various extremities - and it's these mechanical contrivances which are causing its various parts to move!
What's more, in the rear of the crab's main shell, you can now make-out a curtain of crudely fashioned wooden beads, painted to resemble the colouration of the crab's shell, hung over what appears to be a doorway to the inside.

Silently Tony will approach the enterance and slip inside...

Stealth: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

Joining the group behind the giant crab, Marik notices the door that Tony points out. Seeing Tony prepare to sneak up on said entrance Marik will touch Tony's shoulder and wish him "Good luck" also imparting Diviner's Fortune on him.
+1 Insight bonus on his Stealth roll

Staying out of range of the giant crab's claws Aerodus, Shisa, and Marik all join Tony at the rear 'entrance' to the hollowed out crab-shell. Carefully moving aside the bead curtain, Tony slips inside...

Biting her tongue to keep from laughing, she watches as Tony slips inside. Giving the others a wink, she counts slowly to ten before slipping in after him, carefully holding the strings of beads aside as she passes.

perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Tony steps up behind the Tengu and assumes the Total Defense stance. [AC22]
He then shouts; "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Aerodus will bide his time as the two slink into the belly of the beast, sword at hand.

If he hears Tony's shout, will rush in sword drawn, ready to slay whatever foul Necromancer/Technomancer is animating this behemoth.

Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

Tony does a diving shoulder roll until I'm flanking the Tengu with Shisa. [Total defense AC22]
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

At the sound of the screech, and the beast visibly dying (again). Aerodus will rush inside!

Upon hearing the screech, Marik will follow Aerodus into the crab shell.
Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Pausing within the doorway and taking in the elaborate setup inside he thinks to himself "Ingenious".
Seeing the Tengu menacingly approaching Tony, Marik will cast Grease upon the bird-man wicked looking sword.
DC: 15 Reflex to remain holding the saber.

Shisa's unsure whether it was the crunch of the shells beneath her soft-soled boot or Tony's outburst that startled the man-bird thing in front of them.

Since the crunch of the shells alerted the tengu to your presence before Tony even got a chance to utter his outburst, I'd say that Shisa's pretty sure which one it was... ;)

The tengu flicks his sword at Tony as the swashbuckler attempts to tumble past him, but the swing goes wide...

'Foul invaders!' yells the tengu, 'Get out of my house!'

Dashing inside, Marik utters his spell and the scent of warm butter fills the room as the tengu's fine-looking sawtooth sabre slips from his grasp to skitter across the floor...

'More of you, eh?' utters the bird-man, 'Teaming up on poor old Pezock are you? Brigands! Murderers!'

Proving his assessment of your groups' character correct, Shisa takes the opportunity to sink her sword into the tengu's back. He screeches as her blade slices through cracked leather armour and feathers to draw blood. Cursing, the tengu pulls a broken dagger from his belt at takes a wild swipe at Shisa, his other hand clutching his wound...

Finally Aerodus rushes into the room to find the lone tengu surrounded and, apparantly, fighting for his life!

Those who've been good, feel free to check the above spoilers for a description of the place.

Since the crunch of the shells alerted the tengu to your presence before Tony even got a chance to utter his outburst, I'd say that Shisa's pretty sure which one it was... ;)

Shhh.. she'll never admit to it.. :)

'Teaming up on poor old Pezock are you? Brigands! Murderers!'

She feels a sudden pang of regret that she may have been a bit quick to act as her blade slips home. Shisa quickly dances back to avoid the bird-man's wild swipe with his dagger. "Murders?!? You tried to take Tony's head off!" she replies, quickly ducking to avoid getting tangled in one of the nearby ropes. "Seems to me, you drew steel first."

She drops back to a defensive fighting stance and tries to keep the tengu's dagger from finding its way into her flesh instead of pressing her attack advantage. "..And I am no brigand! I do have Some standards!"

Seeing the bleeding hermit (crab...bird), and the others having effectively surrounded and disarmed the techno/necromancer, Aerodus will sheathe his sword, and take a quick look around the inside.

"I believe we got off to the wrong start Bird-Man. If you could all sheathe your blades, we may be able to have a discussion like civilized folk, instead of trying to take each others head's off with steel or claw. But first, let us treat that wound..."

And he will reach over to touch the Bird Technomancer, invoking the power of the Inheritor to staunch the bleeding. "Inheritor, your servant asks your aid to heal this soul.."

LoH: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 To improve attitude

"Let us try again, I am Aerodus, servant of her divine majesty. And we seek to leave this island, perchance you can aid us? We did not come here for bloodshed, but I admit you came near to striking me with your.... crab golem. Maybe we can help each other. "

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20 For requests

My diplo dice are hot tonight!!

Waiting on posts from Marik and Tony.