Amkarang grunts in pain as the elemental slams into him. Once it falls, he takes off running towards the elemental by Grum. Benedict and Haela could probably handle the one they were fighting.
William turns toward Benedict and fires at the elemental they are fighting.
Aerel and Grum combine to finish off one of the two remaining elementals, while William's arrows are enough to slay the other.
Combat over!
"Let's see what we can do about those injuries. Benedict is not the only one with a hint of the heavens in his family tree. But it took me some training to learn to harness this power."
The dwarf holds her hands over Benedict's wounds and closes her eyes.
Nearly all of Benedict's injuries are healed.
Haela repeats the process for herself
She heals Grum.
... and then Amkarang
"Everybody good to go?"
"William, Aerel, do you know anything about these creatures? Where they live and why they would attack us? They don't seem like animals. Were they magically conjured?"
"If we can't figure it out, let's keep going."
"William, Aerel, do you know anything about these creatures? Where they live and why they would attack us? They don't seem like animals. Were they magically conjured?"
"Sorry, I'm not familiar with them. They don't appear natural to me, despite their appearance. A very magical ecology, I suspect, not of this world."
Does Haela have any idea what would have brought elementals to the Material Plane?
Haela considers. "Well, elementals are frequently summoned into this realm by powerful spellcasters like druids, clerics and wizards. Strange that they would be just loose like that. Leftover from some battle? Maybe they were stationed to guard this pass for some reason?"
She shrugs. "We could explore around for answers, but we might never find out."
"We should be getting close. Let's keep an eye out for anything - rearguard hobgoblins, or those drakes we heard about, or anything else."
A few hours after the elementals, Aerel's scouting comes upon a giant of the kind he's seen before. It's very large with a gangly third arm. It does not notice Aerel, and appears to be in the middle of eating an ankheg, cracking it open like a lobster and sucking out the meat.
Assuming Aerel reports back:
"Another Ironfang giant like we fought before? Given the open country we can engage it at range and maybe take it down before it can react. Can you find us a good spot?"
Benedict will have his bow in hand.
Aerel will retreat quietly to report. ”It dines directly in our path and does us a favor - I have no interest in battling those enormous termites if I can help it. I’m inclined to wait and see if it moves on about its business and we can avoid engaging with it. Otherwise, I suggest we find a defensible position for you to make a stand in and I draw it to you.”
Benedict shakes his head.
"These giants were among the Ironfang forces, so this could be allied with them. And if we have to pass this way again, going back and forth to Longshadow, it could get the jump on us. I don't think we should waste this opportunity.
I think our best chance is to engage it at long range rather than risk you getting close to it. You and William may be able to fell it quickly; the rest of us will be in front of you and will do what we can with our bows, switching to melee if it gets close. Though I am hopeful it will not come to close combat."
Aerel shakes his head, incredulous. "Why would you ever think I have any intention of getting close to this creature, after all these weeks we have fought together?"
William looks over the terrain and thinks back to their previous fight and says "Attacking from range would be best I think. As far away as possible. We don't want to get to close to that thing."
Benedict looses an arrow before the giant is aware of the party's presence.
Haela does not have a bow and so just remains next to Benedict with her axe and shield ready.
Aerel will pause long enough for William so their missiles are striking in quick succession if not simultaneously.
William fires off an arrow at the giant before it knows they are there and then follows with a full volley.
A storm of arrows catches the giant unaware and he ends up looking like a pincushion.
He roars in shock and pain, as he grabs a boulder and flings it at one of the two sources of arrows.
His retaliation is pitiable.
Benedict approaches and searches the giant for any treasure of value.
"I know this was not exactly a glorious victory of which the skalds will sing.
But after many, many times of charging in over our heads, or foes popping up around us from out of the ground, or dropping on our heads and strangling us, it's nice to make use of a tactical advantage.
Let's move on."
Amkarang puts his bow away, a little dejected at the lack of oomph to the fight.
"Like shooting at fish in a small pond. Not as fun fishing that way. Less technique. I suppose when fighting giants the priority is a bit different though."
The giant did have a strap slung across its chest with a few bags. Inside were some odds and ends, plus a few objects of value. The heroes are able to find a +1 heavy wooden shield, a scrollcase that contains divine scrolls of divine power and inflict critical wounds. They also find assorted coins worth 647 gp, and a masterwork spear.
After a few more hours of travel, the party finds themselves on an old animal trail winding up a steep embankment. When they crest the rise, they find themselves at the head of a fog-enshrouded mountain valley. Hills rise to the east and west, with a near-vertical face of the Mindspin Mountains barring the way further north. Water rushes down the sides of the mountain, carried in crumbling aqueducts before pouring into a tumbledown ruin. Grass and weeds choke the ground ahead, with interspersed rocks and the occasional black pool or pillar of stone. The valley stretches on for thousands of feet, eventually plunging into a deep crevasse at the base of the northern mountains.
A few wooden buildings -- far newer than the stone ruins littering the valley's northern end -- huddle to the southwest, while a creaking, weather-grayed wooden tower peeks above the fog near the valley's center.
Aerel holds up a hand to stop the others below the crest. ”I think we’ve found it. The valley is fogbound, as they said, but there are a few buildings visible along with a tower poking up through the bank. Let us pause to rest and watch for activity before we press on.”
About what time is it? The elementals were just after we broke camp in the morning (say 7 AM).
The giant was a few hours later (10-11 AM).
And then from there a few hours to the valley (1-3 PM). So maybe early afternoon? And we know that the fog takes "the better part of a day" to clear up. So the fog might be lifting fairly soon.
"Let's take advantage of the fog to get to those nearby buildings before it lifts. That way, if there are drakes about, they won't see us from above the fog, and then once it lifts we'll have the buildings for cover."
Seeing that the wooden buildings are the closest landmark that the party can see, they start down the path into the valley with that as their destination.
"This is old Dwarven stone," Haela says, observing the cracked path that winds down into the valley. Clearly ancient and weathered into not much more than an animal path, there are still tell-tale markings of old Dwarven craftsmanship in winding path.
The party is roughly two hundred feet from entering the low-lying fog when the heavy flap of wings calls their attention to the sky. Instead of the dreaded drakes, they see two birds of prey of enormous size! Rocs!
The immense raptors seem zeroed into the party and are flying in to attack!
”Get to the fog!”
Aerel grabs the last bead from the necklace at his throat and flings it at the closer of the two massive creatures. With a soft whooshing, it blossoms into a ball of fire on impact.
He moves toward the fog bank carefully , not taking his eyes from the creatures, hoping the sudden appearance of fire makes them think twice.
Benedict is completely flabbergasted that the rocs managed to get so close without anybody seeing.
"They're too close and the fog is too far! Just kill them!"
Benedict takes a shot at the injured one.
Then he drops his bow and draws the Dragon Figurine.
Haela enters Dwarven Hatred Style and uses Total Defense (for AC 31 and CMD 28). If she is struck, she will apply her Defensive Training bonus as an immediate action for an additional +4 AC, which would make her CMD 32.
An explosion of fire singes the feathers, but the rocs fly in undeterred.
One of the rocs angles its flight toward Aerel and tries to grab him with its talons.
The swordlike talons spear the elven archer, digging deep into his flesh, and he is lifted off the ground in the bird of prey's clutches!
The other aims for Benedict.
The warrior is able to duck just out of the reach of its terrifying claws.
Both rocs continue their flight, starting to climb up into the air.
I would assume in this case that the roc is 20' up and Aerel is 15' up now.
So Benedict mounts up.
"Get me in close to that roc! Watch out for its bite!"
The dragon uses Total Defense and flies up to get close to the roc. The roc can't take an AOO since it is Grappling, and it should also have -2 AC from the -4 Dex. The dragon is AC 21 with Total Defense and is now at 20', next to the roc.
Benedict draws his warhammer and attacks.
Haela maintains Total Defense.
Benedict picks up his bow and takes another shot.
Haela heals Aerel as a full-round action.
which restores 20 HP (with no satchel charges used).
Benedict is able to close the distance and smack the roc with his hammer.
|
...as Grum dug in his heels frustration built in him. He wanted to be up there with Benedict, bringing the fight to the enemy. He detested the idea of being stuck on the ground, watching as others fought his battles for him. The feeling of helplessness as Aerel was being carried away to his death was too much to handle. And it was then that Grum's sorcerous powers kicked in. This innate magic from his bloodline caused wings to form on his back, wings that mimicked his draconic ancestor. Not questioning his good fortune, Grum called out to Gorum in praise.
Gasping from the pain of the strike, Aerel mutters, ”This won’t do me much good…,” as he drops his bow to the ground as his feet leave the ground.
He draws an enchanted dagger, determined to not go easily.
With nothing better to do, Amkarang draws his rarely-used bow and fires off a shot at the giant bird carrying off Aerel.
William sends a barrage of arrows at the roc holding Aerel.
The roc sustains several hits, but stays in the air.
With Aerel still in its claws, it begins to climb into the air.
The roc fails to gain any altitude, and instead crashes into a rocky outcropping.
The other roc starts a wide turn to come back around and attack.
Benedict smashes his warhammer into the roc's thigh as it tries to fly off with Aerel. The force of his blow causes the gigantic raptor to crash.
"Sorry, Aerel!"
The dragon charges, taking its Pounce attacks on the fallen roc (because the dragon has griffon stats).
As anything that takes falling damage is normally rendered prone, the roc probably has -4 to its AC - not factored in here.
Benedict follows up with another warhammer blow, trying to finish the beast off.
"No proble.... oof!"
The elf tries to turn in the massive creature's grip to get a better angle and plunges the dagger into it repeatedly.