The Beginning of All Things (Inactive)

Game Master Terquem

Poseus takes a 5-foot step to the right and fires the bow at the bullette.

Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 211d6 ⇒ 1

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)

Round 2…

Caoraan tries to stun the beast with a magical attack

Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

The monster seems to freeze for a brief instant, then lowering its head toward the ground it shakes and rotates its massive head as if it is shaking off a swarm of flies.

Poseus takes this opportunity to fire an arrow at the chained beast, striking it on the front leg, just as Dieredon steps toward the dangerous foe and aims for the creatures nose with his blade. But the big beast raises its head at the last minute and Dieredon’s sword strikes the armor plates on top of its head instead.

Collin moves toward Mina who seems to be taking small steps back and focusing her attention on the spider swarm that nows scurries across the ground and tight chain climbing all over the monster

Swarm Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Startled by the creatures lumbering and clumsy charge into the ruin nearby, Calex steps back quickly, and raises the crossbow, but he fires too soon and the bolt strikes the ground just a few feet away.
Deiredon

Round 3...

The monster remains motionless for a moment, and ceases pawing at the ground

There isn't much for Mina to do, except make space between her and the creature. "Take care... If the swarm... moves for you... there is little... I can do..."

Figuring it worked the first time, Caorann tries to daze the monster again.

I think Daze is limited to one use every minute

Oops. Then I have let my players get off with a lot.

At the last second, being the capricious fey she is, she changes her mind, fliting to the nearest tree to hide and casting a mote of electricity at the beast.

Stealth: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (6) + 17 = 23
Jolt+SA: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 141d3 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + (6) = 8

Calex's first thought is to use his Color Spray spell, since the beast is well within his range, but he quickly dismisses that for now. While it possibly would affect the landshark, it also would effect the maetaur girl's swarm, and block her efforts. Instead he puts that spell aside for use later and summons a magic dart of caustic acid, and hurls it at the monster.

Acid Dart ranged touch attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)

round 3, continued…

Caorann and Calex assault the chained monster with spells, and suddenly it rolls on the ground, twisting and turning its body over and over again, until the chain tangles over and around its head, and it ends up just slightly further back, away from Dieredon, with the spider swarm still covering it.

When it comes to a stop, the best has its head on the ground, on its side, and appears to be whimpering

Collin comes forward, and points at the monster while shouting at Mina
Are we just going to kill it? Just like that? I know it’s dangerous, I know, so are bears, and lions, and I know people hunt them, and sometimes you have to kill one of them because they become a treat to your town or village, but come on, it’s chained up, isn’t there anything else we can do?

Just then, another lyph flies into the tree where Caorann is hiding. It is a young male Altilyph, he is pudgy, with a round face, and curly hair. He has heard Collin, and says

In my father’s workshop there is a spell stone that will shrink the monster, if you can keep the monster distracted long enough I think I can get it and bring it to you. You have to throw it hard enough to break it on the monster’s hide, and I don’t think I can do that.

"My intention was never to kill it, but to bring it low. We cannot remove its bindings, or try to teach it right from wrong when its first instinct is to destroy us. If we could not make it understand, then we would take it somewhere far away." She released her spell, since it was showing submission. The swarm would continue to bite and chew, before breaking up shortly.

The plan mina had was to wait until the swarm knocked it unconscious, then release the swarm. It would be very unlikely for it to bleed out before the swarm left. :P I'd planned to try to have her handle animal it to make it at least personable to people. :P It was a super longshot that it would succeed though... the dice had to come up at like 19 or something. Weakening it, in whatever way, would likely make that significantly easier, though! Plus, there's aiding. :)

I never know exactly how to handle monsters going below 0 HP, it opens up too many problems for me.

Poseus fires another shot at the Bulleete, aiming in bringing it down enough that it's not a threat to them and Lyphs anymore.

Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 51d6 ⇒ 1

With the swarm gone, Caorann tries to quell the beast by putting it to sleep. (DC 18 Will)

If we are going to try that, you better fetch the stone quickly! The last village's bullette escaped the chain.

the swarm will continue to chew for another two rounds

Then she will wait the two rounds

Round 3,Studied Target, Power Att

Dieredon again swings mightily with his Curveblade.

CB Att: 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (16) + 7 + 1 - 1 = 23
CB Dam: 1d10 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 + 3 = 9

Hearing a consensus from the team to make an attempt to disable and capture the beast if possible, Calex decides its time to try his Color Spray spell.

"Dieredon! I'm going to try the same magic I used on the assassins! Be careful of the flash!"

Taking a handful of rainbow glass tincture powder in his right hand, Calex uses his left to draw glowing short-lived symbols in the air, speaking strange, almost alien words in a short burst of syllables.
Taking care not to catch Dieredon in the spell's blast, Calex tosses the powder at the beast, causing it to explode in a silent flash of rainbow light.

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)

Round 3, wrap up

Mina ends her spell. Poseus fires another arrow, and misses. Dieredon steps close to the monster, and attacks it with his sword, and then steps back as Calex moves a little closer and tries to subdue the beast with a color spray.
I think the DC is 15?

Will Save: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Stunned for: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Round 4…

When the young lyph witnesses Calex stun the creature, he darts through the air toward a building on the west side of the central tree.

Second to last swarm damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

I think the DC is 15?

yep!

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)

The beast is dazed for a moment…

There is a strange moment, a moment frozen almost in time and space. Across the ruin of the village everything seems to have stopped, breaths are held, weapons stay poised, still, unmoving. Not a word is spoken.

The only sound across the village is the soft hum of the wings of a young altilyph boy as he races across toward a small building. He darts inside, just as the beast seems to be coming out of its mental fog.
The strange, chained monster stays prone, clawing and mouthing at the soft earth all around it, making painful sounds that are a combination of whimpers, snots, and throaty growls.

When the boy emerges from the ruined workshop, he is carrying two large (in his tiny hands) glass orbs. He pauses, landing on a section of the destroyed roof, looks toward Calex, Mina, Dieredon, and Poseus, then over to Caorann, and then at the beast. The boy sets his jaw, closes his eyes and flies with all his strength right toward Caorann.

He flies over the beast, which is now blinded, and confused, and just a moment before he collides with Caorann he opens his eyes, and lands, with a skid and a stumble, on a branch right next to her. He holds out the orbs, which are opaque, one of them is bluish-red, and the other, slightly smaller) is a dull green. Both are perfectly round and he smiles a wide grin, between puffs and pants gasping for breath, holding them out with outstretched hands directly toward Caorann.

These are stones that hold a powerful magic spell. You have to throw them at something hard enough to break them. This one, he holds out the bluish-red one, will permanently shrink a creature to half its size, and this one, he holds up the green one, was not finished before the monstrous humans attacked us, it has a similar spell, but it will not last long. My father taught me how to mix the ingredients to blow the glass, but he was the only one in our village who knew the old ways of blowing the stones into shape. The spells were placed in the stones by our queen. It takes several days of tuning to get the spells to bind to the stones in the right way.

Caorann immediately takes the bluish red orb and flies up high above the Bullette and chucks the orb at it.

"Bombs away!"

Dieredon hears the exchange, and he contemplates a coup de gras to finish the beast, but then the conversation and Caorann flying overhead to Dr a bomb, shifts his thinking. He immediately steps away from the creature to avoid being damaged by the orb attack.

A little more warning next time, Coarann!

Mina watched with baited breath as the orb flew towards the bulette. Her swarm scatters the same way it had come. But... she had to tell herself that lives were at stake.

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)

Caorann takes the orb from the boy-lyph’s hand, it takes both of hers to hold it firmly, and takes off into the air until she is directly over the squirming beast. When she is in position, and high enough, she hopes, she lifts the orb above her head, and with her strength, and little help from her wings, she dashes the orb downward.

Caorann's To Hit: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Dieredon has no idea what Caorann is up to, but sees her throw a small marble like object at the beast, and weary of some arcane mischief, he leaps back away from the monster just at the last moment.

The orb strikes the monster right on the top of its head, as it is twisting and turning about. The orb explodes on impact, and envelopes the monster in a swirling cloud of shimmering colors and glittering stars.

Fortitude Save, vs DC 19: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

Instantly the monster is shrunk to only half its former size, and it is now no larger than a very large dog. The chains fall off of its legs, and the beast rolls across the ground thrashing from side to side to free itself from the chain it has become entangled in.

new Monster Statistics are on the way.

Flying down, she lays a hand on the newly shrunken beast.

Sleep

DC 18 Will

Exhausted, confused, and temporarily blinded, the small, well smaller now anyway, monster falls into a deep slumber.

"I don't have anything to contain him. I don't even carry a mess kit along with me, hence the foraging. Do any of you have any bowls or the like you aren't afraid of risking? Ropes that we could use to contain it anew if we must?" She asked as she began to unpack the extra rations she'd gathered up during their trip; indeed, the area seemed to be full of readily available food. Offering the thing food and drink would likely go a long way to earning its trust. If it thought at all. After a moment, she smiled to the little faeries. "Good job, both of you."

Poseus moves closer to the now sleeping Bullette and looks at it with interest and a hint of pity in his eyes.

"Shame to see the thing so straining against its bonds. It's kind of a slave to those orcs as well. You think anyone could train such a thing to be a loyal pet?"

Caorann alights on the bullette and starts working on unbinding it.

Bullete's are not know for being easily tamed, but maybe if you spend enough time with it, you can get it to bite you less. This one has been abused, so it will be slow to trust

She turns to the altilyph, returning to her normal mode of rapid fire questions.

How many others survived? Can you get them back? Will you rebuild? If not, Woodbridge can help you recover!

Calex looks thoughtfully at the beast, then says slowly to Caorann "Caorann, if the creature will be slow to trust, do you REALLY think untying it is a good idea? Releasing an enraged beast into our midst might be...problematic. We just finished subduing it once. And once was enough I think."

Turning to the altilyph Calex also says "Caorann is right of course- if we can help in anyway we will. We've already offered our aid to some others that were attacked like you, and we extend that offer to you as well. We can help you restore what you lost. I have a small glasswork shop in Woodbridge. If you care to show me how, I think together we can make more of these "spell stones" to help protect each other."

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)

the small, young bulette is no longer chained, its feet are free, but it is sleeping. I don’t think anyone has taken an action to tie its feet or restrain it in any way

Mina begins taking out food from her supplies while Caorann addresses the altilyph boy. He listens to her questions and then answers as best he can

Well I don’t know how many of us survived. I only know that there are about twenty of us that are currently camping to the south, in the top of an oak tree. We’re doing alight, but now I think we can move back here and try to rebuild and clean up. That is if those monsters aren’t coming back anytime soon. Our queen was killed, I hear, as was my father, killed while he was attacking those monsters, but he fought bravely, and because of him many of us escaped, including my mother and sister. We’re sending out scouts to try to find anyone else who may have fled and become lost.

When Calex also offers help from Woodbridge the boy says to
Thank you, I think we’ll need your help. The spell stones? he says with a smile. Well I know the formula and I can mix them, but my father was the only one who knew the secret of blowing the glass in just the right way. He used to say that it was an altilyph secret, but that he was the only one in our village who knew it. We can ask the others if they know if anyone in Hightop or in Glennbarrow who knows the secret.

And then the boy asks Calex

Why did those monsters attack us and where did they come from?

Mina continues to prepare a small feast for the bulette before giving it some space. She watches the exchange between Lyphs, head askew. "You know, I know very little about these spell stones. Are they somehow different from scrolls?"

Know(nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8What's a Fulough? :P
Know(nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23Is there anything Mina can think of that might help her work with this beast, besides making it not-hungry?

Mina, bind this creature before it returns to its real size. If not, I am afraid that I am going to have to end its life. What are your intentions towards it?

"Well... the idea is to treat it as a mistreated dog. If it shows compassion of some sort, it can be rehabilitated. If it doesn't... we'll have to kill it." she shrugs a little helplessly. "Feel free to bind it if you like, I don't really have any skill in that sort of thing... and I'd prefer to try to handle it from this side of the food, if you don't mind. Does anyone have any suggestions on other things we could do to help this work?"

"I agree, we should best bind it, then try to see if we can rehabilitate it. it wouldn't do to fight it again once it awakes. Dieredon I shall help you bind this creature, do you have any rope perchance? I left mine in my village in the chaos."

Aid Dieredon's bind check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

"I don't. Just entirely too many belts. Ropes are generally something for people with two legs, unless you're building something with the rope." she smiles. "Otherwise, pulleys need to be involved." She looked down to the creature, and kneels slightly, to look towards it from beyond the food.

Dieredon takes his silken rope from his pack and begins to bind the beast in a manner befitting of a hog or calf.

I should tell you all that I do not give rehabilitation much of a chance, but you are welcomed to try.

"That... will not allow it to show its nature. You are aware of this, yes?" She tilted her head to Dieredon, as she looked to him, then to the creature, then to the others. "Though... I suppose if we put the food near it and it eats, that may help?"

Calex moves a distance away from those gathered around the beast, leans against his staff and offers his arm to the young lyph to perch on. "Why did they attack? Where did they come from?" Calex repeats, then answers his own questions "Well, young warrior (I'm sorry, I did not catch your name), the one we caught claims to be from the southern mountains, and they are here to take everyone as slaves- those that they don't kill and eat, anyway! They are vile, evil things that hate all other thinking beings. But they hate and fear you lyph most of all, but I don't know why. But if I had to guess, I imagine it's a story from long ago. They need a gymnaga priestess to open a door locked against them some time in the past. I would think the story goes much like this:

I think they attack you first to make sure that, whatever you did so long ago to help the others to victory can never be done again. They attacked the gymnaga to get the priestess they need to open the gates of their fortress. And they attack all others knowing us to be their enemies allies and thus foes in our own right. They are a scourge that needs to be cauterized before it can infect us all with their evil."

"Hm. Where did you learn all of this? I'm afraid I know little about these things. I've simply seen some of their aftermath." she frowns, still keeping her eyes on the bulette. "Are any of the rest of you trained, or at least familiar, with training beasts. I'll take whatever aid you can give, when I try to see if it can be made friendly. I may miss something, and the rest of you may make the difference between killing it on the spot..." she looked to Dieredon, "and giving it a duty." she looked to the young lyph, before moving her eyes back to the creature.

Calex looks up from the young lyph and answers his new maetaur companion. "As I said, much of this is speculation, but based on what we learned from that prisoner we gave to the lyph, we know they were once trapped underground and now are gathered in a host to attack. By their own admission they are slavers and cannibals. We know they've been destroying any lyph they can find-and because the lyph homes are typically very well hidden I believe this to be deliberate tactics, not chance raiders. Our prisoner reacted to Caorann as if she were a feared demon with powerful magic. That is where I get my guess about why they hate the lyph. As for the rest, we know their leader intends to use the gymnaga priestess to unseal whatever lies in the 'black fortress' and that his ability to command this host rests with his ability to do so. They await this proof of his leadership before launching his war upon us all."

Mina nodded slowly as Calex explained. "That all certainly makes sense in that context."

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)

Poseus and Deiredon tie up the legs of the sleeping beast, while Mina begins moving the food she has close to the head of the creature.

As Calex explain the situation to the young Altilyph, he listens intently, never interrupting. Collin moves closer and nods in support of the things Calex is saying.

When Calex is finished, the boy says to him

My name is Turrlow Gaffin,son of Kolly and Alben Gaffin. I am glad to met you, Calex. Thank you for you offer of help. You said you met others from our village, can you show me where they are? I’ll do what I can to reunite them with the rest of us.

Caorann makes the appropiate nods, noises of agreement and emphasis in the proper places during Calex's explantion

"Don't worry Turrlow. We'll take you to where they are. After that, have everyone find a safe place to hide. Woodbridge will protect you until this ends. The people there are so nice!" then, more grimmly."We will go and save all the people they took prisoner and stop them from unleashing this evil!!"

Handle Animal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Looks like we probably have no need to aid. Mina is bad at this :p Literally everyone, including the faerie, has to aid her... unless Mina's familiar can aid... it technically has her ranks! Just in case:

Aid from skunk: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20 Oof. The skunk is better at this than Mina!

As Mina is making a complete fool of herself, the little skunk (and by little, we're using the term lightly; it's actually rather bulky for a skunk) waddles up, completely unafraid of the tied up creature and steals a piece of the food, which knocks more of the food towards it.

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)The party is Outdoors it is partly cloudy, middle of spring, cool and humid

Mina begins saying soothing words, and sounds, as she placers the food near the head of the sleeping beast, when suddenly her friend, a very large skunk, darts out of the underbrush and steals some of the food, knocking a chunk of a large tuber into the nose of the beast.

It suddenly wakes, and immediately begins thrashing around, twisting and turning its body with abandon. At one point it rolls close to Collin. The Halfling is startled and leaps out of the way, but there is no way he can know what direction the tied up beast will roil next and when Collin lands the beasts head is right there and a tooth tears against Collins leg cutting open his trousers.

In a panic, Collin scrambles away and fortunately the beast begins rolling in a different direction all the while bellowing in a rage.

Dieredon shakes his head, stands and moves to a position wear he can not be threatened by the beast, and brings his curveblade to bear on the shrunken bullette.

Do I need to roll anything? It is essentially a Coup De Gras.

crit dam: 2d10 + 6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 2) + 6 + 6 = 17

That will do it. A New Game post is in the works to help get us moving toward the Tafganor camp. let's not overlook the fact that Caorann has another Spell stone, and from what the Altilyph boy said, this one's effects are not permanent. Or I may ret-con the whole thing and say Caorann might have selected the wrong one by simple mistake, then the permanent one is available to be used, by a very brave hero, on the Huge Decapus, is everyone on board? Also, look for something very special to occur soon.

Works

Mina frowns, and then sighs. "It was its choice, in the end... or maybe my failings. If the latter, it's something I can only endure to make up for." Despite her words, she still seemed crestfallen. The skunk swarmed to her lowhanging skirts and clambered up to nest once more, having had its fill of its ill-gotten prize.

Day 10, Morning (turn 64)The party is Outdoors it is partly cloudy, middle of spring, cool and humid

As Dieredon steps away from the now still, unmoving and quiet beast, a silence fills the clearing by the well of the lyph village. Mina’s voice breaks the silence as she speaks the thoughts in her head. When she is done, a rustle in the leaves in the bushes to the west, catches everyone’s attention.

The rustling sound turns into a thrashing, as if someone or some group of people is coming in a rush. The vegetation parts and a young Gymnaga girl emerges from the trees, followed by a boy of about the same age, then a male Gymnaga who looks just slightly older than Poseus, and finally,
Riku who went missing a night ago.

The Gymnaga girl exclaims in a loud joyous voice

Pa -posy! and lowers her body to the ground and literally races straight at Poseus