Thak idly scratches his chin. "Aye it sounds a fine plan. My vote be for strikin' now, while the iron be hot."
Seila shrugs. "At least I won't be bored again for a while."
Calithilon nods to B'auw. "Ready when you are. When your diversion seems at its height, we will go."
Thak grins and begins stretching his muscles, drawing his bow again and again and again in a single smooth movement.
As the plans for the hunt come together, B'auw steps over to Arau and gives his gear a final once-over. He yanks on straps, draws and resheaths weapons, and gives the big hyena a few rough pats accompanied by rough, hyipping words. She seems to be comforted – even encouraged – by his rough treatment.
As his pre-hunt check comes to a close, he notices the dwarf – assumedly a part of the team intending to rush across the flat plain – standing there preparing his bow. A scowl darkens the gnoll's features, "You needing a ride, no?" He looks bluntly at the dwarf's legs, "Short legs don't make for swift running." He hikes his head towards Arau's saddle, "Dwarf with a bow can ride double with B'auw."
Nawarld clearly is not happy at the prospect of teleporting, but does not protest. Someone who pays attention can also hear him murmuring to justify it to himself At least we are moving, at least we are moving....
The halfling smiles at the oracle trying to hop on the back of Durin,
"Hold on tight, the big guy gets a little cranky when he has to carry extra."
Calithilon will wait until the Diversion team is well into their diverting-ness. Then, just before he casts teleport, he casts blur, protection from arrows and stoneskin.
Happy to let her companions discuss tactics, Phynn remains silent but attentive. Once the plan is formed, she, like those around her, makes her last-minute checks. From her pack, she draws and dons several items, the most notable of which is a shirt made of what appear to be, upon close inspection, tiny vertebrae, arranged like the links of mail armour. Around her shoulders she fastens a small black cloak, made from what looks like very fine silk. The loose end gets tucked into her belt. This done, she pulls the pack back on, wriggles it into a comfortable position and tightens the straps.
Her final act, before nodding readiness, is to drink the contents of two small vials. The empty glassware is re-stoppered and placed into a bandolier looping around the young gnome's thigh.
Limbered up and bow in hand, the bald dwarf grins at the gnoll. "Nay laddie, short legs means less time faffin' about in the air an' more time poundin' ground. I'll keep up with ya."
Tower Group:
Seila and Xon
Nawarld
Calithilon
Phynn
Diversion GRoup:
Rose and Mount
B'auw and Mount
Shaelethar and Mount
Thak
Schahrizade
B'auw jumps up onto Arau's back, drawing his blade as he settles into the saddle. "Let us show this great beast what it is to fear a real predator." He looks at the elf, "As soon as we have their attention, get in there."
He looks left and right at the diversion team, checking their readiness... and giving the dwarf one last chance to see reason and mount up. When the dwarf declines, B'auw shakes his head, but looks at the sea of weaklings between themselves and the tower... attempting to locate one of the closer officers. "Dont get slowed, diversion team. Hit'em hard. Take what blood you can. Sew chaos. But keep moving toward that tower."
Then, with a growl that builds to a shouted YIP YIP he and Arau explode onto the plain, blade already seeking Order blood.
Just try to cause as much damage and chaos as possible. If they threaten to overwhelm you, don't hesitate to retreat. And we'll just have to hope the spell works as intended..." He visibly shudders slightly.
Touching his hand to his forehead, Thak's skin turns hard as stone before flickering back to normality. Bow in hand he leaps out of the cave with B'auw, legs pounding as he easily keeps up with the racing gnoll. Quickly he scans the plains, fingers twitching, ready to grab an arrow as soon as he spots a target. In the meantime- RUN.
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Up ahead, the legs of the enormous red gate stand, like some unmoving guardian. Wrapped in the forest itself, the sound of quiet life all around , this would have to be the place that you were asked to seek out.
Maybe it was providence-- or maybe you were just that good, but the tower was as easy as breathing. In the flurry of motion and activity, it and the army had been routed back down the road from whence they came within minutes. Truth be told, it was actually amazing. Maybe that's why the orders sent the group here, three people down, with a rookie medic instead of a fiery oracle. The team had gone and done too well for its own good, and now Shaelathar and Rosie were off doing something else entirely on orders of High Command. Maybe they'd be back before anyone missed them, or maybe that was the last time anyone would see them. Who knew what the cards had in store?
Up beside the enormous and strange standing structure is a simple, cool lake. The water laps refreshingly, entirely clear. Small boulders stand around it in the cold mud.
Above, the makings of a storm circled.
Attacking the tower had done two things: It had proved the superiority of the group against the mundane soldiers of Amberfall, and it had alerted the Order that not everything was right and good. One of the higher ups in the Order, a lieutenant named Zuhuran, had taken drastic measures to end the war as definitively as possible. Taking root in a place called the Fefrind, he had begun to channel the power of the plane of Amberfall itself to summon a storm so powerful as to simply wipe the entire invading army out in a single night.
That's why the group was standing here: Travel to the Fefrind Shrine. Find Zuhuran. Kill him before the storm of retribution kills everyone else. You have an hour.
Birds quietly sing in the pleasant clearing. Melisai, the clericess, shuffles uncomfortably.
Large gates such as this are known as torii and are symbolic of places where the real world begins to descend into the spirit world-- a warning to those who are weak of heart to stay away from the terror beyond. What that means in laymans terms is that things may begin to get a lot stranger very soon once you pass beyond those pillars.
Approaching the shrine's gate, Nawarld and Thak both notice something off about the earth and greenerie along the eastern side of the road, beside a large pillared boulder. It... seems to breathe, quietly, in sets of three. No one else seems to notice.
Acquaintances now comrades after glorious battle, Thak reaches out and tugs on the arm of the nearest fellow soldier.
"Tha greenery over thar; I see it be shiftin', like breathin', in threes. Somethin' nasty hidden, or I'll snap me bow in half." he quietly mutters.
B'auw skulks near the front of the pack, mis-matched eyes constantly roving their surroundings. He'd been absent as much as present for their travels after the tower-fight, always seeming more comfortable to range ahead to scout as they traveled.
Arau trots behind him, constantly sniffing the ground and their surroundings in this strange place.
At Thak's words, the towering gnoll follows his gesture, scanning the trees and foliage for signs of movement.
Calithilon accepts B'auw's suggestion and takes up a position in the middle of the pack with Athaniel flying a few feet above his shoulder.
Spells Cast: Extended BArkskin on myself and Xon. Overland flight. MAge Armor on Xon.
Seila dn Xon look around tense but calm weapons and claws at the ready.
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As everyone stands in the tall grass, straining to see what Thak pointed out, a loud gurgling sound begins to fill the clearing. The small pond begins to surge and swell suddenly as what looks like a massive river rock floats to the surface-- and then, the realization that the rock is some sort of primitive face dawns across the group.
As the pond surges, the brush explodes as three man-sized piles of fungus and decay burst free. With thick bellows that remind of coughing sickness, these enormous creatures quickly lumber forward towards the group.
<-- surprise round
<--- put this in your stat line under your name with your flat-footed and touch AC!
<--- put this in your stat line with your AC, saves, perception!
- winner: Nawarld!
Initiative is:
-- Calithilon - 29 ... is up! FORESEEN! Followed by...
Surging Pond - 22
-- B'auw and Arau - 20 [surprised]
-- Thak - 19
-- Nawarld - 19
Dread Plant Beasts - 14
-- Seila and Xon - 13 [surprised]
-- Phynn - 12 [surprised]
And here is the map! - Fefrind's Shrine I!
:P
Not quite sure what the curious dwarf is saying, Phynn none-the-less understands that something up ahead is causing him some concern. She's just about to request permission to climb onto B'auw's companion - Arau - for a better view, when the landscape to each side suddenly comes to life. Never having witnessed anything like this, all the young gnome can do is stare, wide-eyed, and hope that the grass that surrounds them is tall enough to conceal her or that she can move quickly enough to get out of the way of any attacks. Setting her feet, she makes ready to retreat into the nearby vegetation.
Nawarld puts his hands on his sword hilt and eyes the plants, waiting what they'll do.
The Dreamer's eyes mist over, becoming opaque white orbs. He gains flashes of insight from the moments ahead and these insights appear as sudden warnings in the minds of his allies. In between such admonitions, he chants the frenetic arcane syllables that will electrify the synapses of the same allies.
Simultaneously, his celestial ally Athaniel pulls a wand, flies straight up and points it at the creature in the water, invoking the wands enervating powers.
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The pond finishes rising, wide waves rippling across its formerly still shape. Words pour forth in a bubbling language: one that no one understands. But when they cease, the risen water has taken the shape of an immense man, almost thirty feet tall. It stares down at the group for an instant before its entire form lashes out in a massive tidal wave.
<-
As the tidal wave swoops in, prepared to crash and crush and drown you all Nawarld reflexively slashes at it. With a whimpering cry much like a dog, it retreats entirely.
Initiative is:
-- Calithilon - 29!
Surging Pond - 22
-- B'auw and Arau - 20 [surprised]
-- Thak - 19 is up, followed by...
Dread Plant Beasts - 14
-- Nawarld - 14B [delaying]
-- Seila and Xon - 13 [surprised]
-- Phynn - 12 [surprised]
Spray dripping along Thak's bald head, he steps forward, raises his bow, closes an eye then his hands move like a blur, drawing and firing five arrows at the creature of water.
|
|
Thak pulls back and fires an arrow at the large skull-like mask on the surging pond-- it growls loudly in response, immense bubbles forming in its chest. The stone mask seems chipped.
That's when the brush explodes-- and then charges outward. Massive, thick creatures move forward, anger in their eyes. Humanoid in shape but melded from horrid fungus and rot, they bristle with strange strands of mucousy decay swinging in the wind. Charging forward, they emit a foul stench.
Initiative is:
-- Calithilon - 29!
Surging Pond - 22 (HP: 9/???)
-- B'auw and Arau - 20 [surprised]
-- Thak - 19
Dread Plant Beasts - 14
-- Nawarld - 14B is up, ending the surprise round.
-- Seila and Xon - 13 [surprised]
-- Phynn - 12 [surprised]
The surging pond is a water elemental-- grown to immense size. The mask that it wears is a druidic binding stone that allows it to form corporeally in this world.
As long as you stay on land, it should be safe-- but, not spreading apart would be worse, as the creature is imbued with powerful magic and was only barely unsuccessful in crushing the entire group just a moment ago.
The dread plant beasts are fetid spore mounds, a distant cousin of the shambling mound. An intelligent colony of living plants, the fetid spore mound is characterized by swathes of yellow mold that live within its body. In the sunlight, however, the deadly mold should be dormant-- leaving that the lumbering creatures are known to grapple and crush their prey to death as a "comforting" alternative.
As the brush explodes outward, Nawarld draws his sword and place himself in their way.
B'auw's head swivels between the massive creature on his left and the three plant-things rushing their right flank. "What are these? How do we kill them?"