The giant vulture-headed golem strides forward, moving in a perfect bee-line for the Kurgentate. It is, it seems, quite obvious to the 12-foot anaconda coiling up its leg and back.
The black snake of death is wreathed in a scintillating aura of azure, the mystic outline somehow out of keeping with the rest of the menacing look of the silent glistening predator.
The head of the snake crests the palanquin. With the panicked soldiers focused on their imperiled comrade as he expands like an over-inflated ball, no one notices the new threat slip on board.
Then it strikes.
(hit!)
(applies!)
(succeeds - barely!)
(applies!)
The anaconda wraps itself around a soldier from behind and and snaps its unsuspecting victim's ko stick in half. At the same time it constricts even further with its muscled form, quickly crushing the life out of the guard. Although the creature normally prefers to kill its prey very slowly over several patient hours, it recognizes that now is not the time. For good measure it sinks its fangs into the captured guard's neck, impaling his carotid artery.
It's getting pretty crowded aboard the ol' palanquin. . .
Hurgah kicks aside Sylaxar's legless torso, raises his bloody greataxe and bellows at the monks: Svaust ui frevor, wux faessiri! Svaust ui frevor?
If any of the monks were present at the Dune Squad's first fateful encounter with the Exemplar, the challenge should sound eerily familiar. Even if they do not understand the words, the hoarse shout carries an unmistakable promise of brutal punishment.
-----
As it turns out, none of these particular four opponents were present at the Golden Tent. The audience was reserved for the gig guns (like, ah, Sylaxer).Why don't you go ahead and see if Hurgah can back up such artful poetry with some die rolls. He's certainly been rolling pretty hot as of late. As I see it, with his size, Hurgah is capable of reaching all 4. Number 1 has the grappled condition and some non-lethal damage already on him.
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3XXXXHHXXXX
4XXXXHHXXXX
5XX1K4XXXXX
6XX23XXXXXX
7XXXXXXXXXX
And oh yes - thank you - Moon's bolt hit number 4 - I have yet to post that.
Moon will attempt to perforate one of the monks with his crossbow, using Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot.
The bolt drills deep into the monk's thigh. The warrior-priest, though ignores it, leaving it in place while he focuses on the armored dwarf in front of him.
Knowing that if he has walked into an ambush, his own choices and Pharasma Herself guided him to this moment, Sooron hunkers down and begins beckoning enticingly to the lizard creature. He reminds himself to pack some dead flies on his next journey...if there is a next one.
-----
The gecko stubbornly refuses to come forward, as though it were rooted to the perch it has chosen. Donkor finds though, that when he himself inches closer, the ridge-back makes no objection. Soon Donkor is so close to the creature, he finds he could reach out and detach the gecko's locket and claim it, if he wished, or perhaps instead open it, and leave it on the creature's neck.The ridge-back looks up at Donkor briefly before looking away. Sooron is not sure if there's intelligence behind those eyes or not.
----
I do feel particularly bad about under utilizing Hal right now. I'm wrapping my mind around the issue. This group does seem to like to split up though.
Ignoring the grappled monk, Hurgah hefts his axe and makes a wide overhand chop clear over the head of Karek. The blade rushes down at one of the monks while Hurgah's trusty band of angry spirits abandon the remains of Sylaxer in favor of the freshly injured monk with the bolt sticking out of his thigh.
The giant axe imbeds in the monks back dropping him instantly to the sand. Meanwhile, the hungry wraiths swarm towards the injured monk in front, looking to harvest his flesh.
At the last second, the monk places his hands on his chest in a splayed-like pattern, encircling the crimson pentagram tattooed on his muscled chest. He ignores the attack, bowing his head in prayer. The dark spirits fly up to the monk but suddenly halt, briefly suspended in the air. Perhaps the totem spirits are confused at recognizing one of their own -- or perhaps they understand that the human's soul has already been claimed by another.
Suddenly, out of range, the spirits are forced to fly back to the Reaver and link up once more.
A few moments later, the collapsed monk suddenly flips back up to his feet - still alive. A few amongst the Dune Squad can't help but be impressed at the monk's resiliency. The Asmodean cocks his head to the left and then right, making a sickening sound as he realigns his own spine without a hint of complaint.
-----
Is there something in particular you are thinking of? I'm scanning their sheet, and all I see are supernatural and extraordinary abilities. It looks like the ki pool is supernatural as well. But I may have missed one. . .
Karek brings his hammer up in an arc, right down on the one Hurgah's spirits just ignored. He's not too good for Karek's attention.
No.2 is shaken for 3 rounds total. Not very Asmodean-like, is that.
-----
I used to haunt DMTools in years past - Liz and Daigle and I go way back - another era, from before they launched the chat site. I haven't been in a long time. I used a different name. Is Pygon still there? He's a pretty awesome PBP player we might conspire to acquire.
Just as the monks raises his head from his prayer, Karek's hammer descends upon him, dashing him to the ground. A section of his skull has been broken away, and he bleeds profusely. Yet he rises, uncaring. You start to wonder if these monks do not have some kind of weird undead pact-thing going on.
Karek then swings for the monk locked in battle with his magic whip. With deft footwork, the monk manages to interpose the whip's cord between himself and Kogan's hammer, preventing the dwarf from getting the leverage he needs to bring his strike home.
The dwarf though is not so much seeking to brain the monk as he is simply diverting his attention. Focused on the hammer, the Asmodean is ill-prepared as the whip begins to wrap him in its strands, binding his arms and legs. A cry of frustration escapes the monk's lips as he realizes he can no longer move at all.
OK, we now reach the dark phase of the moon, where the other guys get to go. Let's see if they got anything left.
Monk No. 1 (Pinned by whip)
(success)
It's man versus whip and this round goes to man. The Asmodean executes a swift roll on the sand below and as he finds his feet he manages to force his way free. He grabs a hold of the whips handle, forces it to the ground and steps on it with his foot, keeping control of it for the moment. His other leg stands a stride the whip cord, preventing the writhing whip from continuing its assault.
Monk No. 2 (Previously chopped by Hurgah)
Two of the monks risk a glance at one another, each testing the others resolve. Sensing that the battle is long lost, they orchestrate their escape. Working together, they explode with another wave of kicks. This time though, the attacks are feints, designed to cover their escape as they back away and then tumble to safety, disappearing amongst the waves of dunes - well behind the on-marching golem.
Monk No. 3 (untouched)
Monk No. 4 (Previously smashed by Karek and shot by Moonpate)
The last monk, his cortex exposed to the hot desert air through the gap in his shattered skull, well knows that his death is inevitable. He looks at Hurgah with his thousand yard stare and plans his departure to the dark prince. He may yet be rewarded.
(Miss)
(n/a)
(Hit)
(Applies)
(Miss)
(n/a)
So that's a mighty 8 damage, reduced to 6 with the damage reduction. The holy grail would have been to actually land that stunning fist - fatigue, but he didn't get the hit, let alone worry about the save.
With a desperate heave, something between a cough and a vomit, the near-exploding soldier manages to expel Ilma-aello from his lungs. Forced into the center of palanquin, while she regains her bearings, the elemental takes on the form of a Star Tribe janni, perhaps one not unlike Orchid, with long flowing hair and strange jewelled bangles about the wrist.
(hit)
(applies)
(miss)
(n/a)
(miss)
(n/a)
(miss)
(n/a)
(miss)
(n/a)
Most of the ko blades find, well, air, but one somehow strikes home with the metal shaft driving through Ilma-aello's side, sending her crashing to the palanquin deck. She twitches like a fish out of water as she tries to free herself from the steel pincers pinning her to the deck. A wicked grin grows upon the soldier's face as he realizes he is about to slay one of the great desert clan elementals - a legend in his time.
P.S. The palanquin golem double moves again and this time marches to within 15 feet of Karek. Karek may well be within its threat range.
Moonpate, Ilma-aello and Mr. Sssqueeze: 11
Hurgah: 6+
Karek and 'the whip': 6-
Asmodean Monks: 5
Palanquin golem and palanquin soldiers: 4
Sooron will continue to study the little lizard carefully, and attempt to Detect Magic on both him and the locket. Regardless of the result though, he will reach out very slowly to the creature, and attempt to open the locket while it's still on him.
Donkor casts his spell and analyzes the gecko.
He quickly discerns that there is indeed a magic aura in place. Further investigation reveals that it is a single aura. This is not a case of complex or overlapping forces at work. That should make his study easier.
Great! I blew a natural 20 on a random skill check for a PC. : )
Donkor determines the aura is one from the magical school of enchantment. Moreover, it is a "lingering aura" meaning that the lizard was likely the subject of the magic at one time, and is not itself the source of the magic. Put together, that likely means the gecko has had a spell cast upon it, though there are other possibilities.
The priest then reaches out for the locket. He finds it unlocked. He can easily work the hinge with his fingers. He opens it and a tiny scroll of paper drops out of the locket into sand. The ridge-back makes no movement.
It is a message.
Moonpate, Ilma-aello and Mr. Sssqueeze: 11
Hurgah: 6+
Karek and 'the whip': 6-
Asmodean Monks: 5
Palanquin golem and palanquin soldiers: 4
Moonpate yells after the fleeing monks, "Cowards! Go tell your masters about your failure!"
He then pulls out another bolt and attempts to help his friends up on the palanquin by shooting one of the guards.
damage:
Sooron will attempt to read the message. :)
Moonpate speed loads with far more skill than most would suspect of a conjurer. Those people though, would be unfamiliar with Moonpate’s prior life as a barkeep. In which drilled many a shot at many a hooligan.
This apparently, is little different. Moonpate fires a shoot upwards towards the palanquin, targeting a soldier who is poised to slay Ilma-aello.
The bolt hits the guard in the shouler, spinning the soldier to the side. He has to steady himself before he kinetic force of the shot sends him over the side.
Elementals, giant snakes and now missile fire. The palanquin has become a very unsafe place.
The wizard’s cover fire provides Ilma-aello with the opening she needs to escape. She rises up over the palanquin once again. This time she transforms into something the desert rarely sees, a cumulonimbus rain cloud. She then rains down upon the guards. Her ‘rain’ though is not precipitation, but sharpened jets of compressed air. The guards recoil in pain and scramble to get their bearings. Ilma-aello then focuses down the guard that succeeded in stabbing her earlier.
(hit!)
(applies!)
The soldier's flesh is torn away by the assault, but he is still alive - if you could call it that.
The anaconda, however, seems to enjoy the rain shower aboard the palanquin, be it ever so simulated. It reminds him of his native environment, be it ever so far away - and by far I mean not of this plane. The constrictor selects an uninjured soldier (#2) and attempts to perform its patented wrap around.
(miss)
(n/a)
(n/a)
(n/a)
The guard however spots the snake. He plants the butt of his ko blade and vaults into the air, landing on the other side of the palanquin. He retrieves his ko and spins it in front of him, readying himself for the next threat, sure to come.
That takes us to Hurgah. . .
And
so
I will update the map:
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2XXXXMXXXXX
3XXXXHHXXXX
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7XXXXXXXXXX
8XXXGGGXXXX
9XXXGGGXXXX
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Monk#1 is formerly grappled and a bit injured.
Monk#4 is very injured and just attacked the half-orc.
G = palanquin golem
After all his planning, his prey had returned on their own.
This shortened things greatly, but without the hunt, would the killing be as exhilarating?
It mattered not. The Exemplar's faith in the support of the Shrine of Horns and indeed Cheliax, needed to be fully restored immediately.
Without a word, Soan set out -- alone.
Sooron will attempt to read the message. :)
-----
Donkor picks up the tiny scroll and reads it.("I prepared explosive runes this morning. . ." - just kidding)
Donkor raises an eyebrow as he reviews inscription and considers the potential ramifications of its contents. He then reads it a second time to be certain. For a moment, Donkor considers what might have been if the information inside the scroll was known to the Dune Squad before they set out on their two-pronged assault. This changes everything - then again, perhaps nothing.
Still looking over his shoulder, Donkor reads the script a third time, committing it to memory. The script states:
I'll shoot you an email with the text. Nobody else is interested and I'd hate to take up their time.
Like an ox might ignore a fly, Hurgah ignores the monk that just hit him. He swings his axe at the one on the other side of Karek, determined to cut him down before he fully disentangles himself from the whip.
The crowd of angry spirits, however, flood the badly injured monk and feast upon his pain.
Karek swings twice more, calmly checking his swings so as to be sure to hit, settling the Kurgentate's remaining loose ends.
Com'on! Dis isn'd over yed!
Like an ox might ignore a fly, Hurgah ignores the monk that just hit him. He swings his axe at the one on the other side of Karek, determined to cut him down before he fully disentangles himself from the whip.
-----
The swing connects, severing the warrior-priest's leg at the hip. The Asmodean convulses briefly and then quickly bleeds out, adding more carnage to a horrific scene.Hurgah notices though, that his spirit totem still refuses to attack the last remaining monk with the pentagram tattoo. They simply will not absorb the soul of one who has already been sold to the God-Fiend.
Karek swings, calmly checking his swings so as to be sure to hit, settling the Kurgentate's remaining loose ends.
-----
Karek faces down the last monk. The Asmodean already knows he is dead, battering away suicidally at the giant half-orc beast. His skull already cracked open, he turns at the last instant to see the armored dwarf bring the massive hammer down a final time. This time his skull compacts into his shoulder blades and spine and the resulting shock wave of force shatters his frame. Although he fought to the very last, there is truly nothing left of him.
Com'on! Dis isn'd over yed!
Very bravely ignoring the golem, Karek decides to stride right past the massive vulture-headed construct. The dwarf affords even less concern to the soldiers being mangled atop the palanquin above by the wizard's summoned creatures. Karek's enchanted whip disentangles itself from the monk-corpse and follows at Kogan's side.
Moonpate, Ilma-aello and Mr. Sssqueeze: 11
Hurgah: 6+
Karek and 'the whip': 6-
Asmodean Monks: 5 (if out there)
Palanquin golem and palanquin soldiers: 4
Moonpate, Ilma-aello and Mr. Sssqueeze: 11
Hurgah: 6+
Karek and 'the whip': 6-
Asmodean Monks: 5 (if out there)
Palanquin golem and palanquin soldiers: 4
With deft hands that belie his size, Moonpate quickly loads another crossbow bolt and let flies at one of the palanquin soldiers, preferably one near the rope ladder if possible.
"Karek, see if you can climb up there and take over!""Great Ilma-aello, finish your enemy and ascend to look for more targets!"
Crossbow attack:
Damage:
Roll to Confirm Crit:
Crit Damage:
Wow!
A "20" followed by a "20".
Under RAW ('rules as written') I'm afraid it doesn't mean anything special - though it certainly demands extra special flavor text.
Since you raise it, in one of my home games, my group taught me a long standing tradition that if a natural 20 is followed by a natural 20, the die roller then must roll 1d20 once more. If the third roll is also a natural 20, it is an auto-kill - anything, regardless of anything, no DR, no wards, no nothing. I've actually seen it occur twice so far, which is remarkable given the staggering mathematical odds. I'm told some veterans of the group have seen it happen 5 times.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander though, so if we were to adopt such a rule it applies to hits to the PCs. It adds a level of random peril. What do you guys do in your games?
What do people think? I'm a bit reluctant to add house rules mid stream, but if people want some super crits, I'd do it.
So Donkor. . .
The Pharasman watches the sun set over the great dunes of sand and witnesses the dig site flare to life with torchlight. As he does so he asks himself, 'What next'?
In addition, Donkor also faces something of a gradually approaching dilemma. His current plans call for him to replenish his spells at midnight and, if I have it right, stock up on communication spells. But in order to do so, he needs to get in an hour of prayer before then. Typically, we have had Donkor engage in his evening ritual in the hour leading up to midnight.
The problem here, is Donkor is also trying to act as his own watchman. he can't do both effectively at the same time.
"Great Ilma-aello, finish your enemy and ascend to look for more targets!
-----
Ima-ello interprets her summoner's command as an order to attack soldier #3, the one she struck last round. She continues her torrential rain of compressed air, attempting to shatter her target's body with tight pulses.
(automatic miss)
(n/a)
Mr. Sssqueeze, however, slips in front of her and raises up to its full intimidating height as it selects its next target. In so doing, the celestial anaconda inadvertently gets in the elemental warrior's way, preventing her from finishing off her foe. Ima-aello glares at the snake, cursing it in Auran for its interference.
For its part, the anaconda simply ignores the angry cloud of air and continues its holy hunt of death.
(hit!)
(applies!)
(succeeds)
(applies!)
The anaconda whips its tail sending one soldier right off the side of the palanquin. The guardsman though, never reaches the ground - at least not all of him. With blinding speed, Mr. Sssqueeze reaches over the edge catching his head inside his jaws. The serpent detaches the head, securing a quick meal. With a dull thud, the headless body lands 20 feet below, barely missing Karek.
The twelve-foot long serpent now has a strange spherical bump that is slowly traveling down the inside of its body. The hump drifts in stages as he snake's stomach muscles slowly contract, crushing the head. Mr. Sssqueeze gives a satisfying flicker with his tongue and then turns to his next target.
Wow!
A "20" followed by a "20".
What do people think? I'm a bit reluctant to add house rules mid stream, but if people want some super crits, I'd do it.
With deft hands that belie his size, Moonpate quickly loads another crossbow bolt and let flies at one of the palanquin soldiers, preferably one near the rope ladder if possible.
Just as the shaft flies from the crossbow, Moonpate notices that the fletching on the bolt has been crafted in the twin colors of his fabled Master. He takes that to be a good omen.
He is not wrong to do so. The bolt sails into the Soldier nearest the base of the rope ladder at the top of the palanquin. There is a disgusting hiss as the bolt pierces and then decompresses the soldier's lung, suffocating him in seconds.
The shaft also slices through the victim's body and buries itself in the large throne-like chair in the center of the palanquin.
Gandel, Halstadt and Breach slowly pick their way forward, winding through the shadows provided by the dunes.
Deep in the distance they can see a small group of sentries posted atop a dune, directly in their path (to the west). It should in theory be possible to cut around them to the north or south, especially if the Distraction Team manages to hold out and captures their attention.
They can also see that the wooden gate to the Master Camp inside the dig site is slowly being pulled open.
Determined to cover Moonpate in case hidden enemies should appear, Hurgah holds his ground, ready to strike with his massive axe.
. . . which takes us to Karek, who is lathered in sweat and experiencing waves of exhaustion as his adrenaline starts to level off.
He finds no one is following him - so far at least.
Moonpate encourages him to scale the rope ladder and secure the palanquin. Kogan also seems to have a clear path to by-pass the golem entirely and head south to the dig site. He doesn't see any further opposition at the moment.