The Beginning of All Things (Inactive)

Game Master Terquem

Fox Wood Encounter

Day 5, Turn 65 (time, approximately 10:40 am), round 4

In round 3, Poseus waited, prone, while Phineas ran to catch up to him and in Round 4, Phineas casts Sanctuary, and both reamin prone while waiting for Alomar. Alomar draws a Spear, in round 3, and moves 30’ closer, before seeing Phineas suggest that he flank the attackers. Round 4 then sees Alomar move another 30’, he is now 30’ behind the other two, and well within the rage of the Bless spell so that all are affected. Round 4 will see the enemy Archer attempt a will save to fire at Poseus. I believe the DC is 14

Will Save: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (8) - 1 = 7

The archer seems confused and somewhat distracted, and he drops his bow, draws a short curved sword from a scabbard at his side, and waves at the other two with him to move forward and attack.

All three of the attackers move forward out of the tree line. The leader, the one who had been firing arrows is armed with a short curved sword, and the other two are armed with long curved swords.

When the three clear the tree line all of you can now see that their lower bodies are serpentine, similar to Poseus, but their upper bodies are not small, like his, and instead they are larger, and their skin color is a pale greenish-grey.

End of Round 4

At the end of Round 4, the three attackers are 110 feet from Poseus and Phineas and moving towards them, while Alomar is 30’ behind and to the left of Phineas. I will try to get a map posted as soon as I can

In the Village of Woodbridge

Marcus reaches Auria the One-Handed’s house and runs right up to the door. He is startled as the witch comes barreling out of the door just as he is about to raise his hand to pound on it.

“Go, go, there’s no time for hellos or well wishing, go,” She says to him as she pushes him back the way he came with her left hand.

Marcus and Auria hurry back to the stage, still in place from the festival of the days before, and she gestures to the Maetaur to place the wounded boy on the stage.

Auria immediately casts a healing spell, and the boy’s condition improves, but he does not recover fully. The young Maetaur boy groans in pain.

She examines the wound, carefully, and discovers a broken piece of an arrow head is still lodged deep in his body.

“This boy needs surgery, as soon as possible. Quickly, let’s take him to the Goodwell barn, it is large and has large windows that can let in the light,” Auria says to everyone near.

“Marcus,” Auria says quietly to Marcus, her voice sounding desperate, “Can you run to MacNorra house and tell Rosilindeae and Cicily to come as fast as they can. I may not be able to help the boy, my, my skills,” she says as she withdraws her crippled right hand from the folds of her dress and shows it to Marcus, “are not what they used to be.”

The pinky and third finger of Auria’s right hand curl up unnaturally into her palm, so much so in fact that the nail of her pinky finger digs into her palm

Do I recognise them as being Nagaji, or what were they called again?

Poseus stops dead in his tracks as he sees the figures coming out from the treeline. Holding his spear in his hands he gets quite nervous as he realises they look similar to him, but different.

They are called, Sashi-Anhain, in the common tongue, and in Older Languages, Yuan-Ti, and yes, You immediately recognize them, but to your knowledge they have never been seen this far north

Marcus will struggle to keep his balance as the woman almost runs him over. I guess news travels fast in such a small town. Marcus will turn around and book it back to the village. He watches on as Auria does healing, and a smile creeps over his face when he sees the Maetur boy get better, this fades just as quick when he groans in pain again.

When Auria first speaks to Marcus, he snaps back into reality as though he was in a trance. He listen carefully to Auria's words and is about to run off to the MacNorra house to grab Rosilindeae and Cicily. He then sees Auria's fingers are deformed, but his face is cold as the steel he pounds. He then runs off towards the MacNorra house in hopes to find Cicily or Rosilindeae.

I pray they are home and can help the Maetur boy. Maybe they can help Auria as well, maybe they can get her fingers back to normal. First is the Maetur boy though. What is happening to our peaceful village. First the Furlbough and now these attacks from unknown sources. What next?, all these thoughts swirling around his head as he heads towards in next destination.

Sorry about the names Terquem, I'll remember them now.

"Yuan-Ti" he whispers, "Phineas! Alomar! They're Sashi-Anhain!" Poseus looks very worried now, he had never seen these folk before and never heard of them coming so far north. And now he could see them charging towards him.

Something gnawed at him, it was either doubt or self-preservation, but he was a little scared.

Any background on Yuan Ti using Know Religion or History?

The what?!?"Phineas shouts. "They look too much like the Gymnaga to be coincidence," he decides. "Can you talk to them? Are they friendly and confused, or evil? Do we keep pressing the attack?"

Phineas keeps his crossbow pointed at the advancing things, but delays firing until he hears from Posues regarding his knowledge of these Yuan Ti.

"Gymnaga and Sashi-Anhain don't go back in a friendly way, Phineas. They were slavedrivers of my people. Talking would be out of the question I'm afraid."

Poseus's words fly past Phineas in a blur as he watches the snake-things approach.

"Sounds like Diplomacy is out. They shot first and look like they mean business. I can't let them hurt Poseus or Alomar either."

He decides then this is a fight, to the death if necessary. With that resolve he steps forward to meet the slavers, firing his crossbow once more at the shortsword wielder, before discarding it.

Crossbow +1 range increment: 1d20 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 1 - 2 = 1

Move 20' and SA is firing Crossbow, then dropping as free. Ah, his fine marksmanship continues....zero last time, one this time. At least it's improving...

Phineas, it was actually a 2, you forgot the Bless effect

Upon hearing that the Sashi-Anhain were slavedrivers Alomar stops in his tracks.

Slavedrivers?! That is horrible! They should be thought a lesson for that!

His resolve strengtened, Alomar moves a bit more to the left, trying to open a flank while also decreasing the distance to the Sashi-Anhain.

Bless: 9 rounds left

ride: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Calex also mounts up & checks his gear.
"At least we're not having to walk. I hope we are not needed, but his Lordship must be warned quickly. May the gods favor us this day, Dieredon."

Fox Wood Encounter

Day 5, Turn 65 (time, approximately 10:40 am), round 5

Alomar moves to the left as Phineas rushes forward.

The three Sashi-Anhain run toward the heroes

A new map is now available, please try to use coordinates to describe where you want to move to and if you make an attack identify, by coordinates which of the attackers you are attacking

Alomar looks at his opponent and decides to not rush in, like the Maetaur from the Crescent Guard would do.

He slowly canters forward and readies himself in case an Sashi-Anhain would come within striking range

Bless: 8 rounds left
Move to L6: Ready an action: attack execute when a Sashi-Anhain within 5 ft.

Poseus gets closer to the Sashi-Anhain, but also stays close to Phineas. Heaving his spear two-handed he slithers forward, with a grim and ready determination.

Move to E,-2, ready attack for when they are in reach.

Round 5

After dropping his crossbow, Phineas grips his quarterstaff tightly in both hands holding it out in front of him. He grimaces at the oncoming enemy and watches as Alomar approaches them on the flank. Phineas readies an attack with his staff if the enemy approach, but otherwise holds position, so he and Poseus can advance together.

"Courage, Poseus. We are the protectors of Woodbridge and Mithras is with us. Let's take these slavers down a peg."

Cast Guidance on Poseus in case he needs help resolving an attack this round.

Fox Wood Encounter

Day 5, Turn 65 (time, approximately 10:40 am), round 6

Phineas, I am assuming you cast Guidance on Poseus, before he moves, in round 5, and then you move back to where you were standing, then in round 6, you do not move and ready a standard action to attack one of the attackers when it ends its move adjacent to you, is that alright?

Round 6 is a bit wonky. Poseus going last in the round (round 5) moved and then readied a standard action to attack one of the attackers when it moves adjacent to him in round six. In round six, both Phineas and Alomar also ready Standard actions to attack. But only one of the attackers moved into a position to trigger a ready action in round six, and this one is the Blue ringed Sashi-Anhain who moves to M, 5. Alomar can make attack, and if the attacker survives he will return the attack. The other two, Red and Yellow do not move into a position to trigger your ready actions so you lose those actions this round. Poseus can move forward and attack Acting normally in his initiative order in round 6), or stand his ground and ready another attack, if he does, he will reset his initiative after round 7. Phineas, is at a loss, as he cannot act again until round 7.

The new friends stand ready as the snake-tailed men rush toward them.

Two of the attackers slow their approach, gauging the human man and gymnaga standing in front of them. The other rushes toward Alomar, who has never had to fight another person in deadly combat before, and yet he is ready.

Poseus waits for his friends to make a move, before he attacks the Sashi-Anhain himself.

Delay Action till after Phineas has taken his action.

"Phineas, shall we?" Poseus asked gripping his spear in two hands.
"I'm ready when you are."

After Phineas has taken his action Poseus will move to G-0 and attack the red one.
"Raaahhh!!" Poseus shouts as he attacks the Sashi-Anhain with his spear.

Two-handed Attack, Guidance, Bless: 1d20 + 4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 4 + 1 + 1 = 151d8 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

OK, Terquem, thanks for straightening me out. I'd like to do 15 actions per turn please...Your re-set seems right on to me.

Seeing the creatures close to combat distance, Phineas advances the rest of the distance to close with the Red Sashi-Anhain. Meanwhile he calls to Posues:"Do not let that one take us in the flank. Keep him in front of you!"

The peace-loving Cleric then bashes away at the slaver, but his strike is slow, tentative and easily parried by the enemy.

Quarterstaff w Bless: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Alomar's readied attack to hit and damage rolls where in the spoiler: to hit 19, damage 2

Day 6, Woodbridge, Riders to the Rescue

In the courtyard just outside of the stable, Calex and Dieredon wait, mounted now on two small, but fit horses.

Across the way you watch as one of the guards, sent to find the rider you are supposed to follw, runs into a small corner tower through an opening just a few feet above the ground, reached by a set of stone steps. In the blink of an eye, the guard returns and he is followed by a thin elven woman with shoulder length hair the color of dark stained wood. She is dressed in a suit of custom armor that is a combination of leather and chainmail. She wears a long sword in a decorated scabbard on her belt, and over her back are a small composite bow and a quiver of many arrows. The guard runs back toward you, but this elven girl turns to the left, toward a horse tied to a post near the castle wall. You watch as she approaches the horse, with a flip of her hand she releases the rains tied to the post and expertly mounts in a swift practiced move.

She turns the horses face quickly and digs her heals into its side. The small horse practically leaps across the courtyard and is near you in a flash.

“You are the two who are going to follow me, yes, well, you’d better be good, let’s go. Hiyah!” She turns the ponies face again and gallops out of the courtyard.

You ride down the road at a fast pace, then turn to the north, gallop across a ploughed field, then you must jump over a small short wooden fence. Then across a wild field, through a stream.

You do not need to make a Ride Check unless I call for one, okay. You need to pass a DC 15 Ride check to clear the fence in the first try, your horses are very good quality, so I will allow a +2 circumstance bonus to the roll. If you fail, you automatically make it a second try, but fall behind a little.

Sh stops, turns around once or twice to get her bearings and says to you,

“There is a pond, just a few miles to the north east, it is near the property of a wealthy elven merchant who is a friend of Lord Anticus, this will be the first place we look. Keep up.”

Dieredon follows closely, maneuvering his mount over the first obstacle.

Ride: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 2 = 29

he expertly keeps pace with the gnome.

Ride on! Never fear me keeping up!

whoops, bad me, that's supposed to be an elf

Ride: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 2 = 24
Calex releases the breath he hadn't known he was holding as his horse sails over the fence with the others. "So far so good." Cal thinks."Now I just have to do it a few more times."

"Lead on, milady!"

Day 5, Turn 65 (time, approximately 10:40 am)
Fox Wood Encounter

Round 6

Alomar steadies himself and waits, waits, and then just as the snake-man comes close and raises his sword, Alomar thrust forward with his spear.

The snake-man tries to dodge but the spear head grazes his arm, drawing blood.

I’m sorry for throwing so many technicalities at you, but, Poseus cannot ready both a move and attack action. Phineas does not attack in round 6, but waits, and then Poseus readies again. So –

The snake-man raises his sword and attacks Alomar

Melee Attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
Damage if Successful: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

but Alomar turns his shoulder at the last minute and avoids the blade.

And Poseus waits to see what Phineas will do

Round 7

Phineas decides he is ready to move forward and attack. He swings his staff but the snake-man in front of him easily dodges the young Cleric’s blow.

Seeing Phineas rush forward, Poseus follows, hoping to get in an attack of his own, but he is new to fighting this way, and he comes up too late to make an effective attack.

In round 8, Poseus will go on Initiative count 20, just before Phineas

Alomar can take his turn now

Sorry for the inconvenience Terquem, forgot that we needed a full-round action to ready an attack. So does that mean that AC 15 is a miss??

That's not it exactly, you can, as a standard action, ready only either a standard action or a move action, not both. You can never ready, even as a full round action, a full round's wort of actions. So in round six he is readying either a standard or move action when Phineas acts in round 7. He has nothing to attack, when Phineas moves, so he moves when Phineas moves and then he is done, he cannot attack in this round, but he will go first in the next round. I think we can keep the attack roll till then (it will hit)

Alomar's resolve strenghtens as his first ever serious attack hits and he is able to step out of harms way on the returning attack.

He aims for the Sashi-Anhain and strikes again
Attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Bless: 7 rounds left, on initiative count 16

I expected to be at initiative count 10, just before the Sashi-Anhain, due to readied action. It matters a bit for the Bless in the last round, it will run out before Alomar gets to act

yes, technically it would be at 11, the initiative count just before the action that was taken that triggered your held action, but in this case 16 and 11 are not different.

So if I follow correctly, we need the bad guys to post actions before we move to Round 8 when I'm free to flail about miserably again?

I guess so, the same goes for me hitting I suppose.

Day 5, Turn 65 (time, approximately 10:40 am)
Fox Wood Encounter

Round 7 (wrap up)

Phineas and Poseus move forward to engage the attackers, Phineas is unable to land a blow, and Poseus is not adjusted to the nuances of moving and fighting at the same time. Alomar stabs at his attacker again, and the spear stikes deep in the Sashi-Anhain’s abdomen, it is a fatal blow.

The Yellow Sashi-Anhain attacks Poseus with a short sword, while Phineas is attacked with a scimitar

Melee Attack on Poseus: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Damage if successful: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Melee Attack on Phineas: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Damage if Successful: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Round 8 begins with Poseus striking the Yellow Sashi-Anhain, and we will use his rolled attack, only delayed a bit. It is a hit, and it does a lot5 of damage, but the snake-man does not fall

Poseus leans forward, and keeps his hands steady on the shaft of his spear as he lunges. The spear hits low, on the coils of the snake-man, and draws blood.

Phineas can attack the red Sashi-Anhain, Alomar has dropped the Blue ringed attacker, and can move to flank one of the others, if he wants to

Day 6, North of Castletown, Riders to the Rescue

Calex and Dieredon expertly guide the well trained horses as they follow the elven rider.

They charge along a stream, then through a thicket, where the horses become reluctant to run

Make a riding check here, the DC is 12, if you fail, you fall behind, but keep the elven woman in sight

Once clear of the bushes and small trees, you enter an area of rolling hills and tall willow trees. Ahead of you, in the distance, on the top of a low hill, you see a man standing over a fallen figure, while to your left a rider is galloping away with a young woman on the horse held in front of him. She is bent over the front of the saddle, and the rider holds her down. The young woman twists and turns her body and tries to flail at the rider, and he is having difficulty controlling his horse.

There are two horses, with saddles but no riders, coming toward you at a slow run.

Day 5, afternoon, Woodbridge Village

Marcus follows the river, knowing it is the only way he can be sure to reach MacNorra House safely.

He runs as fast as he can and reaches the ruin in a third of an hour’s time.

As soon as he arrives he is startled by the sight of the Gymnaga settlement. He has never seen it before and it is not exactly what he had expected. For whatever reason, Marcus had always allowed himself to think that MacNorra house was a ruin, a rundown shamble of buildings and the Gymnaga people living in squalor, but it is nothing like that. The buildings have been expertly repaired, and are brightly whitewashed. The doors are painted bright red and green. There are flowers, vegetable gardens, tables with men and women of the Gymnaga folk working crafts in the sunlight. Children play, sliding along well kept grass lawns on their tails.

He pauses and chides himself for not realizing the simple beauty of this place, and then as he looks left and right for signs of the two women he is looking for, he catches his breath as a girl, a female Gymnaga about his age, slides towards him.

She is the most beautiful female creature he has ever seen. Her torso is voluptuous and hourglass shaped. She wears a dark red shirt that clings to her body and is tied at her waist with a white leather belt. It is interesting to see the bright white leather, he has heard the Gymnaga have skills in coloring leather, and this is proof of it. The girl’s face is oval shaped; her mouth a small red bow of pouting lips, her cheekbones high and soft, not hard shaped like the Maetaur girls. She has a light olive complexion, very different from the fair skinned girls of Woodbridge. Her chin is delicate but noble, her eyes are light blue like the sky, and her hair is dark black, straight, parted in the middle and falls to just above her shoulders. She wears a green scarf in her hair, just above her brow and it is tied below her hair and behind her ears.

“Hello,” the girl calls, “Welcome to MacNorra house. My name is Alinda Carpenter. Are you lost? You look as if you’ve been running. Is everything alright?”

Alomar looks rather pale at the thought that he is responsible for killing a sentient being. He hesitates and doubts if he needs to check if the Sashi-Anhain is still breathing.

While doubting he sees that his companions are still being attacked by other Sashi-Anhain so he moves closer to assist Phineas.

Double move action to I-1 (assuming that is a flanking position)
Bless: 6 rounds left on Init 16

Ride: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Seeing yet another damsel in distress, Dieredon rushes to run down the mount with the girl held down.

I am off after the girl!

In his peripheral vision, Phineas sees Alomar take down one of the attackers, he digs deep and takes another swing with his quarterstaff at the Red Sashi-Anhain, putting all his strength behind it.

Staff,flanking: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Damage, if a hit: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Marcus will look around in awe with the amazing craftsmanship. I could learn a lot from the Gymnaga. They are excellent builders, I wonder what I could learn? he thinks to himself for a brief moment, forgetting about the task at hand.

He stops wondering and looks up in time to see a very attractive young lady coming into view. He yet again, looses his train of thought at the task at hand due to her beauty and grace. He snaps back into reality once the Gymnaga speaks.

Huh..wha..ahh...umm. Yes, I am...lost actually. I am looking..for Cicily and Rosalindeae, and it is an emergency he says panting trying to catch his breath. The last time he ran like that was, well running for his life from the giant beast in the forrest.

Nest to him the first Sashi-Anhain falls and he sees Phineas attacking the other with as much fervor as a Gynaga would.

Poseus attacks the one in front of him again, if he doesn't go down yet himself.

He shouts in Gymnaga something that resembles "You %###**&, feel the wrath of the Gymnaga."

Attack, Two-handed, Guidance: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 1 = 101d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Tsss, if you do not want to be blessed, just say so;-). I put the remaining duration of the spell in my posts so you do not forget....

you know, as an aside, it is one of the things that i notice gets missed more than anything else, bless and bard inspiration, always seem to get overlooked, sigh, of course in poor Poseus' case, you're probably going to need divine intervention to get his rolls up, hehe

Mixed them up, sorry Alomar ^^, didn't have Guidance did have Bless.

If it makes a difference, Phineas forgot to include Bless on his attack roll above as well, so it should be a 17 instead.

ride: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

As Dieredon splits off to follow the escaping rider, Calex gives Dier a quick wave of acknowledgement & continues on to go to the aid of Lord Anticus.

I just arrived back at the airport when I posted after a long day of flying out, meetings and flying back in. So I was a bit cranky. (I am glad that I put in the smiley). Although I do agree that it is true that bless tends to be forgotten.

Day 5, 65/65 (Current Turn/Turn of the Day) (time, approximately 10:40 am)

Fox Wood Encounter

Round 8

Poseus feels the rage of his people’s centuries of bondage at the hands of the Sashi-Anhain fill him inside but is it his rage that makes him miss his opponent or his lack of experience?

Phineas is encouraged by the sudden appearance of Alomar on the other side of the snake-man he is fighting, it is a distraction to the villan, and Phineas is able to take advantage of his momentary glance toward Alomar.

With a crunching sound that sickens Phineas he feels the staff in his hands connect with the side of the snake-man’s head. With a muffled grunt the Sashi-Anhain drops instantly to the ground.

There is only one left, and this one is wounded. He sizes Poseus up with a sneer, and says, [b] “Caniss norisso malita nas assin.”

melee Attack against Poseus: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Damage if Successful: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Poseus watches in shock as the enemies sword plunges deep into his abdomen. He sways and tries to keep his eyes open. He suddenly remembers the boxing match he had with Marcus. The memory of the pain is mixed with a feeling of fear as he struggles to remain conscious.

end of round 8

Poseus is Disabled

In his pheriphinal vision Alomar sees that Poseus is hurt. At almost the same moment he sees the Sashi-Anhain between him and Phineas is downed by the latter.

Alomar does not hesitate for a moment and moves to assault Poseus' assailant. He tries to strike down the foul Sashi-Anhain.

Move to I-5 through J-2, J-3, J-4

Attack, Bless + Flank: 1d20 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 1 + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Bless: 5 rounds left on initiative 16 (remember!)

Am I not just staggered Terquem? As I am reduced to 0 hitpoints? I think I could act one more time before taking another point of damage and falling unconscious.

Disabled

the PRD is your friend, staggered applies to non lethal damage and allows a single standard action, disabled allows only a move action, and half a move at the most

Fair enough, I always called it staggered but used the Disabled rules as such in my tabletop games. That's what I mixed up. Though Disabled says you can still take a standard action, but you take 1 damage and begin bleeding/dying after that.