Unbinding the Fetters - Disciples of Master Gond (Inactive)

Game Master Mark Sweetman

Just waiting a bit longer for Javi to state what his immediate action is... depending on choice there may or may not be some additional input for the rest of you to react to...

Javi, a trickle of blood running down his face from where the impact crushed his nose, takes stock of his few options. Gotta get something wedged into the trapdoor.

With a few jerking effots, Javi attempts to jar the trapdoor up a few inches, trying to jab his foot into the crack created by his momentum.

Not sure what the most appropriate check is, but Climb/STR seems appropriate.
Climb 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18.

"No offense to the bear, but perhaps I'll be easier for Gorak to hold." Nisk says, taking a pointed look at Torgus's massive frame and his own wiry muscle. He quickly climbs up and stretches to try and reach Javi to give him a boost.

Gorak the tree stands unmoving.

Javi manages to perform an acrobatic maneuver to nudge the trapdoor open momentarily and lodge his foot within the gap... which leaves him still dangling upside down by the trapdoor. Just now his body weight is acting against the trapdoor - which is painfully transmitting the force unto his foot. Just as the pain begins to crescendo, a distraction bursts from the roiling darkness.

An insubstantial figure surges from one side of the eye, passing across the central circle in the blink of an eye... and sweeping past Javi...
Bullrush: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26
...the figure taking some degree of solidity and sweeping the half-elf from his precarious perch. Javi is sent spinning from the roof back to the floor...
Reflex DC 15 or take 2d6 ⇒ (3, 2) = 5 falling damage
...the trapdoor thunking back into place once the offending foot-stop is removed.

At that time Cassadar and Frakdar begin their belly scraping shuffle to the outer walls. Strangely once they succumb back to the blackness they can still manage to hear what is said in the calm eye. However the wind is no less fierce and you both find it difficult to stay the course to where you initially believed the ladder pieces to be stowed.
Survival checks to measure how well you do by memory and in the adverse conditions.

Apologies for the slight time skip here; but the above with Javi would have played out prior to Gorak changing to a tree - so you can choose to either continue with that path - or alter based on the new information.

Reflex DC 15 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21.

Despite his surprise (and regardless of the yelp he releases as he falls), Javi is able to hit the ground in a roll, mitigating any serious damage. Slidding to a stop in the circle, he spins into a defensive three-point-stance, eyes ranging. "What was that?!"

OMG I'M SO STUPID! I'm a flippin druid who can spontaneously summon natures ally. Forget the tree shape thing for now.

Gorak does not turn into a tree. Instead gorak exhales deeply and his breath seems to come out inhumanely fast and with a cloudy substance. The clouds quickly coalesce into a winged humanoid coposed entirely of air and mist.

Gorak pointed him at the door and Gorak motions for the creature to open the door.

Frakdar immediately drops into a defensive stance. I don't know, but if it comes back, I'm hitting it.

Gorak summons a planar companion to see if it has better luck than Javi at opening the portal. The air elemental moves up and begins to strain against the trapdoor - but before it can be lifted, another insubstantial form surges across...
Bullrush: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32
...sweeping the smaller elemental far from the trapdoor. A sound of rustled paper and whistling breeze can be heard.

Gorak - your summon was swept away 15ft by the bullrush. If you'd like to attempt to force the elemental to resume it's pushing on the trapdoor; I'll need a Charisma check

The form flashes above your heads at the height of the roof - so doesn't provoke AoOs or the like

Charisma 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (1) + 0 = 1

Waa waaaaaaa

The summoned elemental resists Gorak's exhortations and instead melts into the roiling darkness. You can sense that it is still there, circling the room as part of the morass.

He does not like it when we are up with him. Lets climb that ladder and then strike from there when we are at his level. Gorak, perhaps we could use your tree ability to gain some altitude.

He does not like it when we are up with him. Lets climb that ladder and then strike from there when we are at his level. Gorak, perhaps we could use your tree ability to gain some altitude.

Gorak nods and becomes a tree as described earlier.

Gorak's becoming a tree does not provoke any further response from the roiling darkness...

Frakdar - are you staying in the eye - or going for the purported ladder that you thought you saw on the outer wall of the chamber?

Javi and Nisk, climb the tree and see what the wind monster thinks of that, I am going to try the ladder, anyone with me?

Not waiting for a response, Frakdar sets off through the maelstrom toward the ladder.

I am +4 vs. Bull Rush if on the ground.

Frakdar - are you attempting to walk upright?

Will crawl if necessary. Or I will simply sprint if that works. If the wind is as strong as it was when we came through, then I will crawl to the side where the wind was weaker as I recall.

Decision is one that needs be made before you step out of the eye and into the darkness... i.e. - DM isn't telling until you try it one way or the other.
You've seen nothing to suggest a lessening of the wind in your time in the center.

Frakdar will hunker down and swallow his pride and crawl to the ladder to avoid the worse of the wind.

At that time Cassadar and Frakdar begin their belly scraping shuffle to the outer walls. Strangely once they succumb back to the blackness they can still manage to hear what is said in the calm eye. However the wind is no less fierce and you both find it difficult to stay the course to where you initially believed the ladder pieces to be stowed.

Survival checks to measure how well you do by memory and in the adverse conditions.

Just a reminder for Frakdar and Cassadar - Survival checks needed please

Javi nods and begins climbing the Gorak tree, "Sorry if I grope ya, man."

As he climbs, he tries to keep his eye out for the shadow-pushing-thing. "Nisk, I'll go for the hatch. If that thing comes out, you try to hit it."

Climb 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11.
Basically, I'm wondering if Nisk can ready an action to hit the thing when it appears, possibly deflecting its bull-rush?

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Frakdar begins to crawl across the floor to the ladder on the wall.

Frakdar manages to maneuver under the maelstrom and get his hands on a piece of the metal seen before. It feels much like a ladder... though strangely the wind seems to die off near to it, as though it were quelling the flow of air. The section you grab is only a few feet long... though there were other sections that were seen through the glass...

Impressed by the gale, Cassadar admired the work, though he had no clue how it was kept moving like it was. Perhaps one of the janni had something to do with this.. Though he could not see, he did keep one ear open to see how his companions were doing.
Survival:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Are there more rungs above me? If so, I begin to climb them.

The metal object that Frakdar found was a segment of ladder that was hanging on the wall (not affixed to it). One of many such segments - many segments make a whole...

Cassadar finds it difficult to navigate through the swirling darkness without the use of his eyes and at some point loses his way. When he arrives to the wall he feels for a segment of ladder but cannot find one.

As soon as Javi begins to climb, another insubstantial figure rushes from the blackness. It sweeps through Javi....
Bullrush: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18 Success due to losing Dex bonus when climbing
...knocking him from Gorak's branches. This time there was more weight to it's strike and Javi feels a bruise blooming on his skin. [dice]4 damage

If Nisk or anyone wants to retcon in a prepped attack as the figure flew past - you can do so.

"I'll catch it if it comes for you." Nisk says, Darkfang ready as he holds Javi up. When the creature rushed from the darkness he threw his all behind a nasty kick aimed toward the nearest he could tell to its center.

Attack:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22 For 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Nisk's leg passes through the being, striking enough of it to cause some damage, though the strength of the blow is cushioned by the air that makes up the creature. However at the strike, the howling noises coming from the roiling darkness begin to heighten and grow more violent.

8 damage made it through.

Frowning, Cassadar backtracked by virtue of finding his feet, heading in the direction of the Eye to reorient and try again.
Survival:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Gorak is patiently being a tree.

Having found one segment of the ladder, I begin to proceed around the room to the next segment.

Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Frakdar and Cassadar begin to make their way around the outer rim of the room in search of metal segments.

As that will take a little time - what are the centrally located folk up to? Apart from Gorak... he's being a tree...

Gorak has this all figured out, he know how to get out of here. Make like a tree and leave.

Does Natural spell work if i'm in tree form or just animal form?

I'd be happy for it to function in tree form

"Haha! Looks like that pissed it off. Wanna try to hit it again Javi?" Nisk yells down to his friend from the tree branches and looks around at the roiling darkness. "Do you think there's more than one of them?"

EDIT: Fixed

Just a note - Javi was knocked out of the Gorak-tree and onto the floor by the bullrush.

The Bear shakes his head at Javi at the floor, "Come on Javi, don't let that thing beat'cha. You should trick it out Wasp style! And don't worry if you screw up cause the bear will catch you. Bwahhaha"
Torgus stands ready to catch either of his friends that get over powered by the creature, since the Gorak tree can't support him hehe.

Gorak the tree stands stoic. ;-)

Not sure what I need to get more ladder pieces. I keep moving around the wall gathering as many pieces as possible.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22
Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Just waiting to see if Javi pushes the issue with climbing Gorak-tree (I read that Torgus and Nisk are still ground bound at present).
Those in the eye can't hear whats going on outside of it, and it will take a few minutes for Gorak and Cassadar to gather the 'ladder' bits.

Sorry, should be back on a regular posting schedule now.

Javi hits the ground hard this time, warily watching the swirling shadow-clouds, "No, I don't think I'll hold out long by playing tag with .. well, whatever that is. You have any idea how to kill a smoke-monster?" Javi waits on the ground, hoping someone will have a good idea what it is. He even tries to pick up the looking glass, seeing if the attacking smoke-monster is visible through it.

Perception 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18.

It should not have been hard for Cassadar to manage to find his way back to the eye, but it took him a lot longer than he had expected, especially with his eyes closed. Figuring where he was in relation to the eye was proving difficult, but eventually he managed to inch his way back into it, at a completely different position than where he had started from before.

Taking a few seconds to straighten himself and his hair out, he dropped back down and tried to reach the wall again.
Survival:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Does my throat chakra extend to my tree shape? In other words can the gorak-tree sprout a mouth and talk?

Talking Branch

As the ones within the eye ponder on their way forward Javi takes the spyglass and gazes into the roiling darkness. Although you cannot make out the creature... you do spy Frakdar and Cassadar bearing sections of what appears to be a caged ladder.

Frakdar and Cassadar gingerly make their way around the perimeter of the room collecting sections of ladder as they go and eventually then make their way back towards the centre of the room on their bellies. It is unwieldy - manhandling the ladder sections as you go - but with some struggle it is managed. Strangely the metal of the ladders seems to resist the exhortations of the wind... and is not blown around as you thought it might be.

You emerge into the central calm and can look upon the metal objects with your own eyes. You can see points where they slot together to lengthen the whole and on one section there is a wider set of feet with which to balance it.

Gorak - aye, you can talk like a tree

The tree speaks,

"I suppose since you have that I no longer need to be a tree."

Gorak - What type of magic you detect on this strange ladder?

Frakdar begins to assemble the ladder with help from his companions (except the bear who seems to have fallen asleep with Nisk).

SParel's form melts until he is humanoid once again. He'll detect magic the tree.

Spellcraft 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

"Let us get this ladder together so whatever creature up there can face the might of the Brawling Bear! Bwahhahaha!" Torgus chuckles and helps Frakdar put together the ladder.

Gorak senses a form of abjuration magic upon the ladder, but not much beyond that.

The group soon assembles a somewhat rickety looking covered ladder that reaches up high enough to be within reaching distance to the overhead trapdoor. You test it and gauge that it should bear event he bulk of the Brawling Bear.

Up and out?