Muttering curses at the defective smokestick manufacturer, Karek vows to buy his alchemical needs from only respected alchemical outlets from now on, rather than discount shanties that try to hawk half-price wares. He knew that slick-looking fellow was too good to be true. Though that tindertwig-smokestick combo seemed to work well enough...
Nord, Hurgah. Dirdy yards, maybe. Dad's where da sbell came vrom. I didna see'im, dough. I canna see anyding! Karek gropes on his hands and knees for his hammer, the smokestick already well underway. If he has time, he finds his Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, and puts it on his belt to be at the ready.
Karek is such a good groper that no check is required. A full round of groping nets him his hammer, which he now has in two hands as the smoke stick disintegrates away. (He remains prone)
Which takes us to Hurgah to finish the round. After he goes, I'll re-do the initiative tracker so we have one on this page.
Hurgah grabs his axe and lurches to his feet, standing in a protective crouch, ready to strike at anyone coming at him. He feels his rage boiling just below the surface, but he does not release it until he has a target to strike at.
"Get back on your feet, Karek - we will take the fight to them. As soon as you can see again, we move out of the smoke and destroy our enemies."
- Round 2 -
Moonpate's elemental has arrived. He can place it anywhere within 55 feet of his position. Let me know if he has any instructions for it - he speaks Terran.
Karek will be up next, his last round of blindness.
Karek stands up, gazing through the smoke, and braces himself for a fight.
Moonpate's elemental has arrived. He can place it anywhere within 55 feet of his position. Let me know if he has any instructions for it - he speaks Terran.
For the Elemental in Terran: "You who know the song of every grain of sand, listen now for the spell casting defiler attacking your friend and his companions. He steps upon your domain near us. Glide hidden through the sand and harry him to his doom!
With those last words the Potentate flings his free arm to the north, having heard Karek's words, and manifests his summons entry point to this plane some 30 feet in that general direction to seek and destroy.
Moon will stay crouched in the smoke, clutching his club and ready for total defense.
For the Elemental in Terran: "You who know the song of every grain of sand, listen now for the spell casting defiler attacking your friend and his companions. He steps upon your domain near us. Glide hidden through the sand and harry him to his doom!
With those last words the Potentate flings his free arm to the north, having heard Karek's words, and manifests his summons entry point to this plane some 30 feet in that general direction to seek and destroy.
Moon will stay crouched in the smoke, clutching his club and ready for total defense.
-
The tragically unnamed earth elemental arcs into the air as it shapes itself into a sword fish, one with a glistening metallic blade for a bill. Upon completing its nosedive it splashes into the sand, disappearing from sight as it begins its mission of seek and destroy. There is no sign of its passage as it swims underneath the wave-like dunes.
Karek stands up, gazing through the smoke, and braces himself for a fight.
-
As he does so, the spots begin to clear from his eyes. All he sees now though is the haze of smoke left behind by his smokestick.
Hurgah grabs his axe and lurches to his feet, standing in a protective crouch, ready to strike at anyone coming at him. He feels his rage boiling just below the surface, but he does not release it until he has a target to strike at.
"Get back on your feet, Karek - we will take the fight to them. As soon as you can see again, we move out of the smoke and destroy our enemies."
-
Hurgah's turn has come up again. Does he now want to advance? Or wait until next turn, such that Karek and Hurgah can exit the smoke at the same moment?
-
Not really, I'm afraid. The spell storing weapon property requires the wielder to strike and damage a target before the spell is released. Moonpate could take a readied action, to attack someone if they attempt to grapple or strike him, would that solve the problem?
Hurgah bares his tusks in a feral grin as the earth elemental surges northwards.
"Moonpate has the cunning of an ancient wyrm. Once our new elemental ally has rooted out the cowards hiding in the sand, Karek and Hurgah will bring brutal death to them. Your master would be proud, wizard."
Hurgah claps Karek on the shoulder.
"Has you sight returned to you?"
-
Not really, I'm afraid. The spell storing weapon property requires the wielder to strike and damage a target before the spell is released. Moonpate could take a readied action, to attack someone if they attempt to grapple or strike him, would that solve the problem?
-
Technically, I misunderstood you and already had Moonpate take the total defence action in round two, but it turns out not to matter because Moonpate's turn has just come around again (round 3). The opposition has gone a tad quiet. We can no have Moonpate take that readied action.The Potentate does not discern anything new or further about his surroundings. If he wants to know more, he'll need to step outside of the sheltering plume of smoke.
In the meantime, Moonpate's elemental takes an action, but he can no longer see or hear it at this point.
And that takes us down to initiative count 16 which is now both Hurgah and Karek.
"Moonpate, stay in the smoke - Karek and I will teach these dogs not to disturb our rest."
"Moonpate, stay in the smoke - Karek and I will teach these dogs not to disturb our rest."
-
Once Hurgah bursts from the smoke he sees that the 'campsite' has been lit up. There is a soft-glowing, ochre-colored light bright neon-light emanating from his left and a second identical light coming from the sand from his right, each twenty-five feet from his position. Hurgah does not see any sign of an attacker, at least not within the range of his darkvision.
As he spots the sun-rods, Hurgah calls out to Karek:
"Our enemies are weak-eyed - they need their precious light to fight us. They shall not have it. Get the other rod."
He the moves to the rod on the left, grabs it and jams it tip first into the sand to cover the light.
I can see, Hurgah. Karek goes the other direction, and attempts the same with the other sunrod.
-
As soon as he moves for the glowing stick resting on the sand, a green-glowing globule flies towards him from the north, striking him in the shoulder. The globule sticks to Hurgah’s body as though it were composed of a powerful adhesive. But more shocking is that the glue-ball immediately begins to divide. Suddenly there are two, and then four, then eight. Then Hurgah quickly loses count. He also discovers the globules are surprisingly dense. At first the Reaver can simply ignore them, but in just a few seconds, there are dozens and dozens of them clinging to his arms, legs and torso, covering his body, soon they will swarm and envelope his entire body. The sheer weight of the collective begins to drag Hurgah down towards the sand, sapping his ability to move.
Muscles bulging, Hurgah struggles against the effect. His rage builds for every futile movement - until that faint draconic whisper in the back of his mind rasps a wordless piece of advice to his subconscious. Closing his eyes, Hurgah takes a step, then another.
As he moves, the arcane tattoos covering his body begin to glow wherever they touch the substance - burning it away. For a brief moment, Hurgah shines brighter than the sunrod he is headed for. Within seconds, the adhesive is completely burned away, his eyes snap open and two giant strides bring him within reach of the burning rod. With a grunt, he scoops it up and violently thrusts it into the sand, covering the immediate area in darkness.
With a snarl, he looks north, trying to locate the source of the attack.
Muscles bulging, Hurgah struggles against the effect. His rage builds for every futile movement - until that faint draconic whisper in the back of his mind rasps a wordless piece of advice to his subconscious. Closing his eyes, Hurgah takes a step, then another.
As he moves, the arcane tattoos covering his body begin to glow wherever they touch the substance - burning it away. For a brief moment, Hurgah shines brighter than the sunrod he is headed for. Within seconds, the adhesive is completely burned away, his eyes snap open and two giant strides bring him within reach of the burning rod. With a grunt, he scoops it up and violently thrusts it into the sand, covering the immediate area in darkness.
-
Awesome. The above happens.
With a snarl, he looks north, trying to locate the source of the attack.
-
This attack also came from the north and the shot appeared to originate from afar. There's an awful lot of dunes out there.-
Yes. Karek buries the second sunrod, following Hurgah's lead, and the light level returns to dim. The moon is massive tonight and the sky remains devoid of clouds as it has been for several days and nights now.
- Round 4 -
(Moonpate is up again! Does he continue his readied action?)
There is no sign of the elemental this round. Perhaps it is still seeking a foe. Perhaps it is destroyed?
- Round 4 -
(Moonpate is up again! Does he continue his readied action?)
Getting nervous, Moon will pull out his potion of sanctuary and down it
Moonpate retrieves and chugs his potion and all of a sudden its Hurgah and Karek’s turn again. What is with this opposition? Don’t they like taking their turns?
Hurgah takes off running in the general direction of where the attack came from.
Hurgah dashes forward. Seeing nothing in the moonlight ahead, he finds the tallest dune and seizes the high ground. From there he can see. . .
Yeah – he totally needs at least a rank in Perception.
Karek will follow Hurgah, double-moving 40 feet, and sincerely hoping to see... something. He keeps the smoke cloud close by, in the likelihood that he will have to return to rescue Moonpate.
Karek will follow Hurgah, double-moving 40 feet, and sincerely hoping to see... something. He keeps the smoke cloud close by, in the likelihood that he will have to return to rescue Moonpate.
Moon will stay put ready to bonk any attackers, scanning the gloom all around him and trying to listen for anybody sneaking up.
Got it! With the smoke, the Potentate won't likely see these theoretical attackers until they are right on top of him, but on the other hand, they shouldn't be able to see him either.
There's no sign of the elemental this round (again).
And no sign of the sniper, either.
That takes us back to 'High-Ground Hurgah' followed immediately by Karek who is making a point of looking back over his shoulder every few seconds to make sure Moonpate is OK. And that will finish off round 5.
Hurgah growls, obviously frustrated by the cowardly enemies who refuse to show themselves. He stands scanning the desert night, a tempting target for anyone lurking in the darkness.
Karek, in the open, watches and waits.
Although it began with a fury of explosions and fireworks, the windless night has gone awful quiet. Occasionally you see a wafting plume of Karek's smoke bomb as it eclipses the moon, but nothing more.
Was that a. . . No, it's nothing.
Hurgah takes a last look around, then moves back to Karek.
"We should get Moonpate and move south - they will be forced to come out of hiding and follow. You have the sharpest eyes, keep watch behond us as we move."
Karek grimly agrees. We should vind Hal. Da nide can no longer wade. I hobe dare gedding bedder sleeb dan us.
Hurgah leaves the high ground and jogs south, returning by Karek's side. Moonpate remains in the thinning plume of smoke. The dwarf and half-orc quickly confer and decide their chances are better on the move.
As they prepare to leave Karek sees:
Far in the distance there is what looks like a sudden spray of sand. Then all was still. There was no sound to accompanying it. It was as though one of the dunes far in the distance suddenly exploded like a fountain.
The event was straight north - approximately 400 feet. Karek's not positive he could find that exact spot, assuming he wanted to.
Something in-between, a spray about the size of a man.
Dare was a blash of sand, dere. Ride nord. I do nod know whad id was. Doo var away.
-
Karek then sees that the sand spray is followed by a flash of silver light. Same spot.
Now dere was a silber lide. Does dad sound like anyding you know, Bade? Karek asks Moonpate.
Maybe the elemental has found something to fight. What do you say, Karek - shall we run up and see? Moonpate, you had better follow us. We will be too far away to help, if you are attacked.
Maybe the elemental has found something to fight. What do you say, Karek - shall we run up and see? Moonpate, you had better follow us. We will be too far away to help, if you are attacked.
-
Hurgah's run is much faster than Karek's (and Moonpate's). Assuming you plan to stay together you can run forward at 60 feet per round, or 40 feet per round if you want Karek to keep his AC bonus. If Hurgah runs ahead he can clear 160 feet a round as a full round action (with loss of Dex bonus).Moonpate will not be able to make an identification on the silver light based on Karek's description alone. If he emerges from the smoke and it happens again, he might.
Maybe the elemental has found something to fight. What do you say, Karek - shall we run up and see? Moonpate, you had better follow us. We will be too far away to help, if you are attacked.
I will follow. It does sound like my tragically unnamed friend has found our quarry.
It could be a drab. Karek observes with distaste, and shakes his head. Mages. Go and look if ye'd like, Hurgah. I'll neber ged'ere in dime. We'll vollow.
It could be a drab. Karek observes with distaste, and shakes his head. Mages. Go and look if ye'd like, Hurgah. I'll neber ged'ere in dime. We'll vollow.
"Trap or not, we can't rest with enemies around and we can't go trudging around looking for our friends while being followed. We either have to take the fight to this assassin or set our own trap for 'em."
"It could be a drab."
-
I think Karek's been eating Admiral Ackbar cereal again.