"Welcome back from wherever you have been, friends. From the smell, I'd say somewhere unpleasant. I think we managed to bring all of your trinkets from the red tent."
As Hal is out of initiative at the moment he will head to the sack and rummage through to see if his Greataxe was retrieved.
Hal now has his axe. As Gandel noted earlier, it's currently the wrong size, but it still feels good to have it back in Hal's hand.
Belleson and Donkor fly up over the oasis. With a quick circle to get a feel for his load, Belleson prepares to dive into the thick soup of mist floating overtop of the pool into the dark unknown.
But before the sorcerer can begin his dive, a huge bomb of water erupts from out of the fog like a geyser, soaking both of them. Ripples spread out from the oasis and splash up on the beach.
Hal, Karek and Hurgah are thirty feet away from the waters edge, recovering their weapons and equipment from the pile on the beach, discarded from Hurgah’s sack. Moonpate and Breach are at the water’s edge, watching Belleson and Donkor’ imminent dissent. Gandel is at the edge of the dunes that encircle the oasis - 30 feet from the sack, 60 feet from the water.
As quickly as the explosion came, the water is silent once again.
Still want to go diving for lost treasure, sorcerer? Hurgah rumbles dryly.
Clairvoyance again down by the gate please. Not sure if you want initiative rolls yet.
Really? I would have thought you would have expected that splash to come once you were all the way down.
Clairvoyance again down by the gate please.
There is a gigantic hydra with 10 heads locked in battle with what Donkor deduces must be Moonpate's champion water elemental. The elemental has taken the form of a frothing phoenix. Composed of what looks like a tapestry of aquamarine feathers, the elemental is flying around the hydra in tight circles, diving and weaving amongst the creature's writhing necks, forcing the behemoth to entangle itself. Every now and then the phoenix finds a hole in the hydra's defenses, dives in, and then explodes in watery fire as it strikes the creature's core rocking the hydra back a pace or two.
That is until Deca-Jaws finally gets a hold of it. One jaw snaps on to the flowing creature and he pins it against the sea floor. Head after head dives at the creature again and again and again. It uses the blunt force of its stabbing head to crush the phoenix as much as it uses its jaws to tear it apart. The trapped elemental morphs its form over and over trying to finally find one which will enable it to flow out of the beast's jaws. When Donkor's pharasmatic sight winks out, he finds himself almost relieved that he need no longer witness the unrelenting carnage.
Deca-Jaw's back did though appear, for the moment, to be turned away from the cave that you seek.
Not sure if you want initiative rolls yet.
Shattershield witnesses the watery explosion of the oasis and brandishes his twin stabbing weapons in front of him in the defensive posture of a veteran warrior.
"By my ancestors!" he cries. "It's a burden being right all the time."
He takes a careful step back, his eyes never leaving the water.
Still want to go diving for lost treasure, sorcerer? Hurgah rumbles dryly.
A sopping wet Jason smiles back at Hurgah as he hovers in the air ten feet over the oasis. He then looks behind him to the Pharasman on his back.
"Actually," he says slyly, "I'm still in, if you are."
His attitude is as confident as ever, but Sooron can see the faint tremor in his wrist as the sorcerer readies his wand.
"Even my innate dwarven greed for all things shiny sees this as a bad idea!" Hal smiles broadly as he retrieves his Greataxe. "I've felt naked without you", Hal says as he pats the handle of his axe.
Sooron shouts down from the back of his mage steed, "As you all expected, Deca-Jaws is here. Moonpate's elemental is putting up a brave show, but he's on the ropes, pinned on the floor of the oasis. I don't think it can survive much longer. The beast has 10 heads again, they all seem to be attached now. We need to decide right now if we stay or go. I vote we leave, though I don't know if we can outpace the beast. The baubles down there can wait for another day!"
To Jason he smiles back, "Brave man, but I've noticed Pharasma's plan favours those who don't push their bravery quite so far!"
Sooron shouts down from the back of his mage steed, "As you all expected, Deca-Jaws is here. Moonpate's elemental is putting up a brave show, but he's on the ropes, pinned on the floor of the oasis. I don't think it can survive much longer. The beast has 10 heads again, they all seem to be attached now. We need to decide right now if we stay or go. I vote we leave, though I don't know if we can outpace the beast. The baubles down there can wait for another day!"
To Jason he smiles back, "Brave man, but I've noticed Pharasma's plan favours those who don't push their bravery quite so far!"
Moonpate shouts, "I can summon another water elemental if we stay and fight!".
He clearly does not have the same appreciation of Deca-Jaws as the rest may have it.
"Draw it out on to the sand! If we are to fight the beast, then let us do it out of it's element. Let it's lust for flesh be it's lust for death." the one eyed master of battle says with a growl of defiance.
"Moonpate, what is the possiblity of callin' on the plane of flame?"
"This fight would be unwise at this time. We don't have enough fire spells to stop the beast from regrowing heads". Despite his protests Hal positions himself to be as close to all members of the Dune Squad.
"Moonpate, what is the possiblity of callin' on the plane of flame?"
"I can indeed summon a denizen of the living flame, and throw mystical darts of acid to help counter regeneration."
Moon will step back another 20 feet, which should put him about 50 feet from the shore.
To Jason he smiles back, "Brave man, but I've noticed Pharasma's plan favours those who don't push their bravery quite so far!"
“And you did say something earlier about Pharasma saying that someone was going to get sent to the Bone Yard if we went to the Tumen Gate,” he says. “Maybe we should back off then so it’s not one of us.” Jason seems relieved to be let off the hook as he slowly turns for shore. “No offence, but I was rather hoping not to have to meet your goddess in person for some time yet.”
Belleson flies Donkor to the shore to drop him back off.
His back is turned, huh? How convenient! I imagine at least one of the ten heads is glancing back occasionally though.
Nope. It's one of those one-way hydras.
I'm not playing a halfling this time sir, to take any and all bait you throw at me!
Racial slanders are unnecessary. I'll have you know the Dune Squad's halfling is a model adventurer.
Once Donkor and Jason reach the shore, that sweet spot will be right where he is now, right by the pile of weapons dumped in the sand. Conveniently he's there now.
Moon will step back another 20 feet, which should put him about 50 feet from the shore.
For some reason, I actually have Moonpate standing on the shore. However, as we remain out of initiative, the discrepancy is of no matter – Moonpate can get exactly where he wants to be. Whether he moves 20 or 50 feet, he’s now 50 feet from the shore. A really teeny-weeny sized Gandel is 10 feet behind him. The quarterling looks like he’s trying to decide whether to scale the giant dune in front of him or head back to the water.
I don’t think so. You can sorta do this with touch spells, but not a regular spell. The closest I can think of is Moonpate can ready an action to begin casting as soon as a specific condition chosen by you occurs. That might help him climb up the initiative order, but it is still a 1 round casting time.
P.S. Wow! We could actually see the acid dart usefully come into play in a level 7 game! Nice call.
No sooner does Donkor unceremoniously dismount Belleson and land next to Breach then a second disturbance wracks the oasis at dusk.
A hoard of draconic heads emerges from the fog field, water draining off of their scales and splashing into the oasis below.
All ten of the heads pull back and deliver a chorus of reverberating roars. Every desert creature for miles will have fled.
Next, the tangle of heads cut through the fog and prepare to stab at Breach, Donkor and Jason, each set of jaws boasting a collection of yellow incisors long and wicked enough to be a butcher’s knife.
No sooner does Donkor unceremoniously dismount Belleson and land next to Breach then a second disturbance wracks the oasis at dusk.
Perhaps we should have left!!!
Moonpate tightly clutches his Mug of Comforting Wonders and furiously begins to cast Summon Monster IV (using bonded item casting), enhanced with his Genie Caller feat to summon a medium fire elemental at Level 9 casting, Augmented and lengthened with Summoner's Charm--so it should last for 12 rounds if I have it correctly.
Initiative Roll
"I've dropped nastier things than you,beasty. All that roarin' ain't doin' much ta impress me either." says the warrior as he prepares to embrace death with open arms.
Initiative
Ack, so much for the fog giving us a little time to prepare as he tried to find what side of the oasis we're on! Bad hydra! Naughty!
Round One:
Tiny Gandel moves forward until his allies are within 30 feet. The diminutive scholar begins reminding his companions of the strengths and weaknesses of the massive hydra.
"Remember, we need to lure it onshore!"
Karek turns back towards the hydra, wearily, but without much surprise. The annoyance that his companions decided to stick around shows on his face, but he shrugs and shoulders his spear, walking calmly back in the direction of the creature.
Initiative:
A hoard of draconic heads emerge from the field of fog, water draining off of their scales and splashing into the oasis below.
All ten of the heads pull back and deliver a chorus of reverberating roars.
Jason takes to the air once more as the writhing heads whip towards him.
For those of you who care about such insignificant things, this time the order is:
It's on baby!
Tiny Gandel moves forward until his allies are within 30 feet. The diminutive scholar begins reminding his companions of the strengths and weaknesses of the massive hydra.
No sooner does Deca-Jaws even break the surface of the water then Gandel is already sprinting back towards the oasis pool. He screeches to a halt next to Hal at the weapons dump. Once there he immediately continues reciting his knowledge of hydras for the party. His information though is starting to get more and more obscure. He regales the Dune Squad with information about hydra neck circumference, average regeneration speed based on humidity and temperature and even appears at times to be reciting the creature's facebook profile.
Moonpate tightly clutches his Mug of Comforting Wonders and furiously begins to cast. . .
. . . the beginnings of a most powerful spell. Further from the beach, and safely at the rear, the Potentate plants a single candle in the sand. Standing just behind it, staring deeply into the thin trail of smoke, Moonpate continues his complex chant of the arcane arts. You could swear that the smoke and flame are increasing in mass, already far beyond what should be given off by such a tiny candle.
You do!
Karek turns back towards the hydra, wearily, but without much surprise. The annoyance that his companions decided to stick around shows on his face, but he shrugs and shoulders his spear, walking calmly back in the direction of the creature.
“Oh boy!”
“You still got that spear, right Karek?”
Which as it turns out, in this instance given his position, is all Breach would need to avoid attacks of opportunity. (I know, I know, we need a map.)
Is that still what Breach is going for?
Is there anywhere you want him to specifically withdraw to? He's still got a magically enhanced Speed and could get all the way back to Moonpate if he wanted.
Thanks! You too - I'm thrilled someone is still reading the posts!
Hurgah rumbles in anticipation of the coming battle...
Appreciated!
Those stats are still pretty frightening in his buffed form.
Hurgah rumbles in anticipation of the coming battle...
Stoneskin-Hurgah at that, if I recall correctly. . .
Bilbo might still be tied up with his heavy shifts, so if we don't hear from him soon let's assume he goes on to delay and Hurgah can act next. Then Breach can go as soon as he checks in. We'll ensure he gets to go before Deca-Jaws.
Thanks! You too - I'm thrilled someone is still reading the posts!
I definitely don't want to miss this throw-down. You have an amazing knack for unforgettable encounters...and we seem to have a knack for barely surviving them, which makes for some great gaming...that I hope will continue with a resounding victory.
Thanks Phrip, I will take that feedback to heart and do my best to further limit the party's chances of survival.
Hurgah hefts his axe and his eyes fill with a red haze. He interposes himself between Moonpate and Deca-Jaws, prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the monster from disturbing the wizard's spellcasting.
----------
“It’s OK guys, I got this!” calls Jason, “Yo! Lizard-breath – over here!” The sorcerer taunts the creature as he races into the air, up and away from Deca-Jaws.
(hit!)
(applies!)
Jason laughs as his lightning fast flight speed enables him to dodge the creature’s bite. What the youngling fails to realize though is that the hydra’s attack was a feint, setting him up for a strike from behind. The second head catches Belleson’s robe with its teeth, ensnaring the flying sorcerer in place, preventing his escape. A third head then lunges upwards for Belleson’s dangling leg and clamps down - hard. The hydra should have removed his leg at the hip but instead there is a brief flash of fiery light in the creature’s jaws as Jason struggles free. The protective ward cast earlier by Halstadt invokes the faith of Angradd and spares the sorcerer’s life. Jason takes advantage of the brief respite and wriggles out of the remains of his shredded tunic, leaving it dangling in the second hydra’s mouth in order to get free.
Jason then reverses his course, executing a dangerous barrel roll, diving straight down for the oasis. As soon as he drops below the protective layer of fog he levels out, making it look as though he has dove into the water when in actuality he is cruising through Donkor’s magic layer of fog. Those watching closely can see faint ripples marking Jason’s true trail, but it does not appear that Deca-Jaws is able to follow his true trajectory.
Seconds later, Jason pops up from a totally new location just above the middle of the pool, a fair distance behind the hydra. In his arms he now holds a massive ballista composed of a glowing solid energy. Gritting his teeth, he fires a burst of shots, almost like an eldritch machine gun.
“Yeargh!!!!!! Take that and that and that and that!”
(applies!)
The hydra rocks forward as the bolts blast against its spine, but the mighty lizard’s unnatural healing ability is already acting to compensate, knitting the tears of its flesh back in seconds as though there were no injury at all. . .
Hurgah hefts his axe and his eyes fill with a red haze. He interposes himself between Moonpate and Deca-Jaws, prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the monster from disturbing the wizard's spellcasting.
I see I've been previously posted some contradictory things as to where Hurgah is. Fortunately, we can still clarify and resolve it without inconsistency as there was a ton of time to move about before Deca-Jaws surfaced. He'll definitely be interposed between Deca-Jaws and Moonpate, but did you want him:
(a) At the water's edge (with Breach and Donkor);
(b) At the weapon's dump - 30 feet from the water (with Hal and Gandel)
(c) Immediately in front of Moonpate - 45 feet from the water.
In case it wasn't obvious, option (a) puts him in a threatened square and exposes him to the potential of a full attack, but also puts him in range for his own attack, if he later decides to take it.
Next up is Breach, Hal then Donkor!
(I anticipate though that I won't have computer access Saturday - I'll be responding on Sunday, hopefully rolling away for ol' Ten-Heads.)