Kayosin sidesteps around the shape-shifter as he seeks a soft spot to strike. What's the weak spot on a shapeshifter? Oh well…
He slams his blade home with a grunt.
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 42-5=37-3=34-10=24
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 42-6=36-9=27
Round 2:
Kayosin
Vak
Ajer
Goldie
Fibek
Sumisu
monsters
Straehan
Braydon
Monster 1: &
monster 2:
You appear to be damaging them, but your weapons are doing less damage than you thought you did.
Ajerviskanis=1, Braydon=2, Fibek=3, Goldilocks=4, Ikshvaku=5, Kayosin=6, Straehan=7, Sumisu=8
Monster 1 attacks Ajer.
plus grab.
Monster 2 attacks Straehan.
plus grab.
The creatures are Faceless Stalkers. Ugothols (as faceless stalkers call themselves) are one of the many tools created and then discarded by the aboleths in their long war against the surface dwellers. Scorned by their former masters when the scheme for which they were designed unraveled, the faceless stalkers fled into swamps, marshes, or any other dark, wet places they could find—the closest they could come to the aquatic cities they once considered home. Originally designed to serve as spies that could walk uncontested among the air-breathing races, faceless stalkers adopt new forms by reshaping their skin and contorting their rubbery bodies. This painful process takes approximately 10 uninterrupted minutes—an ugothol typically seeks a private place to do it, avoiding even others of its own kind. The sensation of returning to its true form is quite exhilarating and results in a momentary burst of euphoria. Faceless stalkers cannot digest solid food even when in the form of a creature with a mouth. Instead, they subsist on liquids, including blood. In their natural forms, they have three hollow tongues which they use to penetrate and lap blood from their victims. Since they have no particular skill at grappling foes, most ugothols wait until a victim is helpless or asleep before attempting to drink its blood—although the best is when a victim is helpless but conscious during the process, so that the faceless stalker can “play with its food” by having grisly and cruel conversations with it. They have DR5 vs pierce & slash and a con drain if they grab.
Ajerviskanis swats away the attack, and returns a half-hearted counter-attack.
Sumisu pulls out another potion and takes a swig. The robe moves unnaturally as it seems strange things happen underneath.
Round 2:
Ikshvaku closes with the aberration menacing his fellow Vudrani. A quick beat-attack with his offhand blade draws the creature's attention, setting it up for a solid blow with his primary blade.
Braydon seems unsure of his attacks, almost like he's trying (and failing) to predict where the monster will move next..
He focuses his attention on the..thing..in front of him, and slices again.
Attack:
Damage: <--magic, slash
..and actually manages to land a strike. He almost seems surprised.
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 42-10=32-15=27-7=20-19=1-13=-12-9=squish
AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 42-9=33-7=26
Between Braydon, Kayosin and Vak, monster#1 is gone.
So we're waiting on Strae in round 2?
Noting the creature's resistance to blunt force and lack of same to fire, Straehan slides left to flank the downed monstrosity and changes tactics - delivering a flaming kick to its exposed joints, the one area of the beast that hopefully isn't malleable. "Never pick a fight with a chef!"
HIT: Flank?
DAM:
STAND + SWIFT: Hand (crit: 20/2x)
MODS: Elemental Fist, Sorcerous Strike, Flank?
HIT:
DAM: (Fire)
Only the 1d4+1 roll is blunt damage and might not pass the creature's defenses.
Prone penalty vs a melee attack is -4AC on the defender, which may or may not apply on the E-Fist.
Flare (1):
Prestidigitation (1):
Dancing Lights (1):
Elemental Ray (7): xx
Elemental Fist (1): x
Produce Flame (1):
1st Spells (4): x
Spell Effects: None
Round 3:
Kayosin
Vak
Ajer
Goldie
Fibek
Sumisu
monsters
Straehan
Braydon
The last monster, obviously seriously wounded, looks at Sumisu's odd movement and suddenly screams "Traitor!"
It lunges for Sumisu, ignoring all other threats, seemingly enraged beyond rationality.
Kayosin spins from the falling creature just in time to see its partner go after Sumisu.
There is no hesitation. He rushes after the creature, ducking into a flanking position and swiping his blade horizontally across what he hopes is another soft spot.
"He's no traitor! He's my little...umm..uhh..friend!"
Braydon will swing on the second creature, almost without thinking about the action, while fumbling verbally..
Attack:
Damage: <--Magic, slash
..and physically, as the shot falls a bit short.
The slam from the creature causes more violent movement beneath the cloak. A large pink tentacle snakes out of the open face hole of the covering and wraps around the offending creature, squeezing it and causing it to bulge in places it shouldn't. From the small opening, a gravelly bass voice grinds out toward his opponent. "Fool! I am not your kin. I hold allegiance to whom I please."
Round 3
The cat follows the creature to Sumisu and delivers a vicious bite. One most creatures would not get up from.
How do you like me now?
The cat growls at Sumisu, obviously not impressed with the recent turn of events.
The final creature falls.
Straehan looks from Sumisu to the cooling corpse and considers what the skinwalker said, "You owe him gold or somethin'?"
"What, by many faces and names of Irori was THAT?" Ajerviskanis blatantly blurts at Sumisu. "So many mysteries about what ladies keep under their robes, now so mild compared to what lurks under yours!"
Ikshvaku spares only a glance for the odd creature traveling with him as he investigates the boat.
@Vak: The boat is a small fishing boat, resembling a converted lifeboat. The boat itself is blood-stained, and contains what looks like normal fishing and camping gear. As you get closer, you startle another one of those leeches, which splashes into the water of the river, abandoning its meal, a huddled, human sized form.
The elf grabs his holy symbol and speaks to Samisu.
"I think you have some explaining to do."
"It's just his t...", Braydon starts, but cuts himself off, "It's..nothing that strange."
Braydon attempts to interpose himself between the group and Sumisu, but with the numbers the way they are, it's ineffective.
Goldilocks had bitten clean through the tentacle as well as the monster, but it parted nicely for his teeth, slipping through them like floss and reforming the tentacle on the other side. The end of it was sharply tapered, like a tail, but it was close to nine feet long if it were a tail, and might be wrapping around Sumisu's little body, giving the impression of a shifting form. The part of it you could see roiled and curled a bit, not acting like any sort of natural tail.
The figure bowed slightly and continued in his gravelly bass voice. "My many apologies for my indiscretion. I have never seen such a creature before. What you have seen here is merely an arcane machination, A result of my inquiries into the mysteries of Nethys. It is not inherently evil, nor am I. Please do not be alarmed."
Tanooki, having seen that the combat was over, flew down and perched again on his master's head and started bobbing his head and flapping his wings a little, as if he was trying to take the attention away from Sumisu and talk the crowd back into more friendly terms. The tentacle swung like a whip toward the edge of the bridge, and the gore from the creature slid off from the centrifugal force into the water. After that it quickly snaked back into his cloak.
Kayosin was glad to have contained his own reaction this time (as opposed to when confronted with Braydon's revelation), and he can't help but think to himself, Kayosin, for once you're downright normal.
Still, he can't quiet his unease at not knowing exactly what or who the mysterious little man is. His own read on the situation as well as the little man's relationship with Koya was going to have to be enough for now. "No apologies are needed… I think." He pauses, regarding the little man…thing and considering Straehan's remark, "I think you're being honest, but that doesn't explain why that thing would call you traitor. I don't like acting suspicious, but I also don't like to have a viper in my pack when I can avoid it."
As he waits for an answer, he squats down and begins searching the two shape-changers' bodies. After a minute of searching, he looks up at the owl with his usual half-smile, "You in on this, too, Tanooki?"
"I do not mean to disturb you, but I believe I have found one of the fishers." The Vudrani climbs down into the boat to examine the apparent body.
The body does appear to be that of one of the people you thought you faced.
Ikshvaku shakes his head. "And people are expected to live and work in a place like this? Ridiculous! If good order cannot be maintained, it is time to leave."
"That's not..I mean..tails don't.."
Sense motive:
Braydon was clearly expecting something a little more typical than what actually occurred.
to Vak: "I suspect that..", Braydon says, still a bit shaken at all that transpired, "Only a few would do it by choice. A few coins worth of fish doesn't..doesn't seem worth the risk. Is fishing all he or she was doing?"
A quick check of the boat is in order, to see if there's any way to identify the corpse, or find their partner (if any).
A search of the boat and the area around the bridge turns up a second body and a small packet under the seat of the boat. It contains two platinum and a sheet of parchment bearing the markings of Cheliax. It appears to be a notice of a 10 gold reward for information leading to the recovery of an escaped halfling slave, with a sketch and description.
@Kayosin: Not off-hand, but...Warden Proudstump is a halfling and the description could fit.
@Vak: You're just at the third bridge, the one leading to the area marked 'Warden', and in the section marked 'Old Ruin'. Time and speed? Let me double-check my calculations. The marsh is rough terrain, but you are on a relatively well marked trail.
Kayosin walks over and reads the parchment.
he says, "You mind if I hold onto this?" If they acquiesce, he slips it into his pouch as he considers the rest of the ongoing conversation.
Ikshvaku shakes his head. "And people are expected to live and work in a place like this? Ridiculous! If good order cannot be maintained, it is time to leave."
to Vak: "I suspect that..", Braydon says, still a bit shaken at all that transpired, "Only a few would do it by choice. A few coins worth of fish doesn't..doesn't seem worth the risk. Is fishing all he or she was doing?"
"Everything has its price… even order." He indicates the note from Cheliax, "I imagine there's a halfling who values his freedom enough to risk Varisia's rugged features. Such a halfling might even value those rugged features if it kept shackle-wielding pursuers from his doorstep." He shrugs, "Maybe it's not the best example, but the point remains, different people value different things. Though I'll admit this marsh wouldn't be my first place to settle down."
to Kayosin: "As long as you're not planning on cashing in on it. I cannot abide slavers. Hideous practice."
to the group: "As for what these..things..were, I don't know. There's more than enough evidence that it was either mistaken or just lying about Sumisu. So, which way should we head next?"
Braydon idly picks up a twig and starts gnawing on it...
Fibek points the way to Walthus'.
Sumisu follows the group, wherever they might go. He has been withdrawn and sullen since the last fight though, and has barely said a word to anyone. The deep gravelly voice left after about ten minutes, replaced by the tenor voice again. There has been a lack of movements underneath the cloak, except for a little shift here and there that denotes the unusual occupants.
Tanooki however is his old friendly self, bobbing his head at people like he is holding conversation. His nap seemed to invigorate him.
Fibek steps closer to Sumisu as soon as he happy they are heading to Walthus'.
He whispers to Sumisu:
The trip to the halfling's shack is not further interrupted, however, when you get there...
The door has been kicked open and there are signs of a struggle.
Ajerviskanis:
Braydon:
Fibek:
Goldilocks:
Ikshvaku:
Kayosin:
Straehan:
Sumisu:
"Someone is calling from upstairs--let's go."
Fibek cannot beat his quick cat to the stairs up.
After a bit of searching, you find a hidden door in the main bedroom and a seriously injured halfling hiding inside.
He's somewhat incoherent, but keeps asking if the 'monster' is gone and if his snakes are OK.
Braydon sniffs a bit, and announces "Humanfolk have been here, as have something like those things we fought earlier."
Braydon tends the halflings wounds, using a CLW if needed.
Heal:
Cure:
Braydon definitely has a healing touch.
"I do not know about your snakes, for I did not see any. The only monsters we encountered are now dead." While Braydon is working on the halfling, Ikshvaku asks, "Can you tell what wounded him?"
@Braydon: he's been bludgeoned and blood-drained. Also, you think there were three humans and you can smell at least three snakes hiding in various places in the downstairs.
Walthus, firmer but still shaky, says "I hope my snakes are OK. You saw more of them? They used to live in the swamp, preying on animals and goblins. They're called faceless stalkers. The swamp natives were a bit undersized, normally they're the size of you tall folk. I think the Soggy River Monster has been preying on them. Thanks for driving it off."