Fairbeaks lets out a loud squawk of challenge, as he sees the two flying drakes off in the distance. The axebeak seems eager to leap to the fray, waiting for Theo's command!
GM: Generally, Fairbeaks will be under the Guard command. So if anything attacks Theo, before the dwarf's turn, the axebeak will go on the offensive early... otherwise yes, he delays 'til Theo gives him a command! =)
CG Male Human Slayer 10| AC 21 | T 16 | FF 16 | HP: 88/88 | CMD 29 | Fort +14 | Ref +19 | Will +9 | Init +14 | Perception +19 Trap-Sense +5, Trapspotter|
Haliban adjusts his position a bit as he studies the movements of the closer drake. Possibly sharing useful observations.
kn Dungoneering?:1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 15 + 2 = 26defenses, vulnerabilities.
"Scatter to minimize their breath attacks."
He then perhaps foolishly shoots the closer drake a few times to get it's attention.
"I have just received word that the Icy Reservoirhas now been cleared, claimed, and it is now safe for travel! We are nearly there, Pathfinders!”
Sorrina Westyr's image flickers as the rain picks up once more. "Those near the Labyrinth of Flame push to help those currently trapped there. Everyone else begin heading towards the Vault entrance as I have a plan!"
GM's enact the Water event elemental manifestation.
After a pleasant, if somewhat esoteric, chat with the spirit oracle, but before departing the shrine, Ninlil does a little arcane shuffling of her prepared spells.
Theo shrugs off the chill, heals most of Fairbeaks's wounds, and sets his animal companion to guard mode.
Over the course of the short march, the party notices the cold isn't as severe as it had been.
Arriving at the broken tower, Haliban studies the pink frost drake, draws his bow, and lets loose on full automatic. The slayer's first and third shots overshoot his target, but he takes some satisfaction watching his second shot strike.
Urien inspires the team with courage and casts hast on everybody.
Suddenly, another flash flood rushes in from the west, pummeling everyone but Fairbeaks. Theo gets the worst of it, the water carrying the dwarf ten feet before dropping him on his keister at Haliban's feet. The entire area is submerged in water, at least for a while. Not so deep that you need to swim, but deep enough to hamper your movement. (Difficult Terrain)
Knowledge (arcana) DC17:
These large creatures are dragons with the cold subtype. This pair seem sickened by the warming temperature on the asteroid. For every 5 you exceed the DC, you may ask one question from this list.
Ninlil:
(Sorry I missed your earlier Knowledge check re Kelizandri.) Kelizandri is said to be the semi-divine offspring of a brine dragon and a minor demigod, and is one of the four powerful beings collectively known as the elemental lords. He rules over his realm of Kelizandrika, located on the Elemental Plane of Water where it borders the dark Plane of Earth. He generally takes the form of an immense dragon-like creature made of earth, metal, and crystal, and vacillates between periods of intense, violent activity and apparent torpor.
Conditions:
Acrobatics Penalty: The rocky surface is somewhat slippery, but not a serious impediment; it imposes a –2 penalty on Acrobatics checks attempted in this area, but does not act as difficult terrain.[/b]
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement.
Difficult Terrain: The area is partially submerged for 5 rounds and all squares are treated as difficult terrain during that time.
Round 1
Bold may act. Hector(-5)
Urien (-5)
Haliban (-5)
Fairbeaks (-4)
---
Pink Frost Drake (-22)
Red Frost Drake (-5)
---
Ninlil (-5)
Theo (-11; prone)
Alden (-5)
Hector, you're up!
[Please note the elapsed time (40 min) since departing the beachhead for any spell/buff durations.]
HP 50/50 (15 temp) ... Arcane Reservoir 6/11 ... AC 16 touch 12 flat 14 ... CMD 13 ... SAVES(F/R/W) +5/+5/+8 (+2 vs. air/electricity) (+2 heroism)... NG female outsider (native) arcanist 8 ... Initiative +6 ... Perception +1 (+2 heroism) ... Sense Motive +1 (+2 heroism) ... Active Effects heroism 93 minutes ... false life 479 minutes ... mage armor 59 minutes ... endure elements 1327 minutes
On the way, Ninlil gets a sense that the party is approaching danger! She will cast Resist Energy (cold) on herself and six of her closest friends--Ninlil, Hector, Urien, Haliban, Theo, Alden, and Fairbeaks all resist cold 20 for the next 10 minutes. (20, in Ninlil's case. Hey, it has to go somewhere, right?)
Sheesh, a natural 20 on the cmb check vs everyone? Mean! =)
I should sit on the bird, he seems to handle these like a champ! (admittedly, probably due to his size)
Theo gets upended, ass over teakettle, and is swept forward, even his usual stable footing not enough to keep him on his feet.
The long string of tian curses that erupt from his mouth as he tumbles along floundering in the shallow water is impressive.
Hector lets everyone know that the warming temperature has sickened the frost drakes, making them somewhat sluggish.
Fearless in the face of danger, the swashbuckling oracle advances toward the two-legged dragons with dull, blue scales tinged with bright blue ice. A freezing mist issues from between their powerful jaws.
They extend their long necks and open their gaping maws, roaring a challenge that rattles the broken tower's stones. They leap to the air and fly 20ft overhead, ignoring--for now--the skinny ifrit with little meat on his slender bones.
Each of the frost drakes spits a ball of liquid phlegm that bursts into a 20ft-radius cloud of freezing mist. The mist cakes all surfaces in the area with a sheet of slippery ice that turns the area into difficult terrain.
Pink Drake Spit Damage, (DC 18 Reflex half):7d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 6) = 18 Red Drake Spit Damage, (DC 18 Reflex half):7d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 3, 5, 4, 4, 1) = 19
Conditions:
Acrobatics Penalty: The rocky surface is somewhat slippery, but not a serious impediment; it imposes a –2 penalty on Acrobatics checks attempted in this area, but does not act as difficult terrain.[/b]
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement.
Resist Energy (Cold): Resist energy (cold) 10; each time the creature is subjected to such damage (whether from a natural or magical source), that damage is reduced by 10 points before being applied to the creature’s hit points.
Difficult Terrain: The area is partially submerged for 5 rounds and all squares are treated as difficult terrain during that time.
Everybody (except Hector), please make 2 DC18 Reflex saves, applying the Cold Resistance 10 to the damage from each. Ninlil, Alden, Theo & Fairbeaks, you're up!
[Please note the elapsed time (40 min) since departing the beachhead for any spell/buff durations.]
Still laying partially covered in the sudden meltwaters the drakes' icy breath completely covers Theo in no time at all. Already thoroughly soaked, the attack manages to freeze even that, until he looks like a a prehistoric dwarf frozen in ice from ages past. With a frustrated curse, he starts jerking his arms and legs, breaking up the thing sheet of ice that has formed, as he clambers back to his feet.
He growls something at Fairbeaks, as he brings his bow up, firing a single arrow towards the drake hovering near Hector.
move action, stand up. Standard, fire a single shot
Fairbeaks lets out a confused cry, as the frosty breath encompasses everyone, not quite sure what to make of it. Still, he comes out of it relatively unscathed, and itching for a fight!
Finally given the command to hunt, he wastes to time, as his long legs pick their way through the icy waters, towards the nearest foe. He is not put off by its height, and perhaps is a little motivated somewhere in his hindbrain by flight he has long since lost.
He leaps into the air, trying to snap the creature out of the sky.
Only need to get 5' vertical (DC 20!), to be in reach, so am assuming he can attempt this... Acrobatics to Jump, hasted:1d20 + 15 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 15 + 12 = 32
*EDIT* The party enjoys the benefits of Cold Resistance 20 (not 10).
The frost drakes unleash another roar, this time one of angry frustration, as the intrepid adventurers ignore the lethal effects of their freezing mist breath.
The red frost drake screeches when Fairbeaks makes a lumbering leap from the ground and delivers an axe-like blow of its beak to the dragon's ribs.
Draconic:
"F%@@ing Titanis walleri! I swear I'm gonna eat this subspecies of Phorusrhacidae!"
Conditions:
Acrobatics Penalty: The rocky surface is somewhat slippery, but not a serious impediment; it imposes a –2 penalty on Acrobatics checks attempted in this area, but does not act as difficult terrain.
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement.
Resist Energy (Cold): Resist energy (cold) 20; each time the creature is subjected to such damage (whether from a natural or magical source), that damage is reduced by 20 points before being applied to the creature’s hit points.
Difficult Terrain: The area is partially submerged for 5 rounds and all squares are treated as difficult terrain during that time.
Round 1
Bold may act.
Hector (-5)
Urien (-5)
Haliban (-5)
---
Pink Frost Drake (-22)
Red Frost Drake (-31)
---
Ninlil(-5)
Theo (-11)
Fairbeaks (-4) Alden(-5)
Mea culpa, you can ignore the need for Reflex saves, because Cold Resistance 20 overcomes the damage either frost drake inflicted. Ninlil and Alden, you're up!
[Please note the elapsed time (40 min) since departing the beachhead for any spell/buff durations.]
Alden hunches his shoulders as he barrels his way through!!! His armor wet and glittering with ice crystals, he poses. Hoping that the creatures would concentrate on him and leave his allies better opportunities to strike!
He wasn't incompetent enough to know that these creatures has an advantage over him.
Alden does the Hellknight hustle, getting closer, closer, closer... He comes to a huffing halt just in front of and below the pink frost drake flying 20ft over his head.
Conditions:
Acrobatics Penalty: The rocky surface is somewhat slippery, but not a serious impediment; it imposes a –2 penalty on Acrobatics checks attempted in this area, but does not act as difficult terrain.
Haste: +1 bonus on attack rolls and a +1 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves. When making a full attack action, a hasted creature may make one extra attack with one natural or manufactured weapon. All of the hasted creature's modes of movement (including land movement, burrow, climb, fly, and swim) increase by 30 feet, to a maximum of twice the subject's normal speed using that form of movement.
Resist Energy (Cold): Resist energy (cold) 20; each time the creature is subjected to such damage (whether from a natural or magical source), that damage is reduced by 20 points before being applied to the creature’s hit points.
Difficult Terrain: The area is partially submerged for 5 rounds and all squares are treated as difficult terrain during that time.
Round 1/2
Bold may act. Hector(-5) Urien(-5) Haliban(-5)
---
Pink Frost Drake (-35)
Red Frost Drake (-31)
---
Ninlil(-5)
Theo (-11)
Fairbeaks (-4)
Alden (-5)
Mea culpa, you can ignore the need for Reflex saves, because Cold Resistance 20 overcomes the damage either frost drake inflicted. Ninlil, Hector, Urien, and Haliban, you're up!
[Please note the elapsed time (40 min) since departing the beachhead for any spell/buff durations.]
HP 50/50 (15 temp) ... Arcane Reservoir 6/11 ... AC 16 touch 12 flat 14 ... CMD 13 ... SAVES(F/R/W) +5/+5/+8 (+2 vs. air/electricity) (+2 heroism)... NG female outsider (native) arcanist 8 ... Initiative +6 ... Perception +1 (+2 heroism) ... Sense Motive +1 (+2 heroism) ... Active Effects heroism 93 minutes ... false life 479 minutes ... mage armor 59 minutes ... endure elements 1327 minutes
Ninlil slides around on the ice, skating her way out of it eventually and with great effort. Move action, using 50 feet of movement to move about half that distance. When she reaches solid footing, she grimaces and summons forth a floating ball of electricity! Standard action, "dropping" it on red, placing it near the back so the miss chance doesn't apply to a square people are likely to try and shoot. Have my thundercloud image on the other laptop, sadly--will see if I can dig it up later. Looks like it's gone missing from the other map.
Male NG Ifrit Swashbuckler 5/Oracle (Psychic Searcher) 5 | HP 63/79 | AC 30 (31 hasted) T 19(20) FF 23 | CMB +9, CMD28/21 | F: +6, R: +13 (+14), W: +7 | Init: +12 | Perc: +11, SM: +3(+1d6) | Speed 30ft | Inspiration: 7/7; Panache: 5/6; Charmed Life 3/3 | Spells: 1st 8/8 ; 2nd 6/6 | Active conditions:.
Hector gets annoyed scowl on his face as he sees the drakes going in the opposite direction from his trudging through the water. He pulls out a potion of fly and drinks it.
Male Human Bard (Flame Dancer) 8.0 | HP 62/62 | Move 30 | AC 20 T 14 FF 17 , CMD 22 | F+6 R+11 W+7 : +1 vs. poisons, +1 vs. transform | Init +4 Low Light Vision Per +8 | Spells: 1st L 6/6, 2nd L 3/5, 3rd L 3/3 |Loremaster 1/1 | Performance 7/23
Please allow us to retort! Urien says in both Draconic and Taldane. maintain inspire courage via audible component as well as somewhat taunting the drakes
Ninlil withdraws a piece of a tree struck by lightning from her spell component pouch and utters an incantation. A thundercloud forms next to the red frost drake, but the dragon swerves, evading the crackling lightning bolts.
Hector gulps a potion of fly.
Haliban continues to fire arrows on full auto. The first two shots take down the pink frost drake, and, having studied the red frost drake, he takes aim. The slayer can't seem to miss!
Not to be outdone, Urien continues his inspiring bardic performance, and he fells the red frost drake with his first two arrows.
The two frost drakes crash to the floor of the broken tower, their massive corpses sending cascades of water in all directions and shattering the stone tiles.
Victory! Success reported to the Overseer GM.
As the flood waters recede, a search of the area reveals nothing of interest, other than the path that leads down into the subterranean structures beneath the city and to the ice reservoir beyond.
The Wounded
Hector (-5)
Urien (-5)
Haliban (-5)
Ninlil (-5)
Theo (-11)
Fairbeaks (-4)
Alden (-5)
[Please note the elapsed time (41 min) since departing the beachhead for any spell/buff durations.]
(I'll advance the action tomorrow morning. In the meantime, feel free to RP and lick your wounds.)
As a note, Theo has 20 points of damage, currently (4 not healed from the elemental fight, 5 from the previous flood, and 11 from this one)
Theo curses again as the drakes fall, though its not entirely clear what he's swearing about.
"If one of these damnable floods hits us while we're underground, it could do a lot worse than just knocking us about." He growls, as he goes over to check out the entrance to the subterranean section.
"Still better than out in the open like this." He adds, ready to move down into an environment he's more comfortable with.
You enter the path that leads down into the subterranean structures beneath the Frozen City. After following the tunnel for about 10 minutes, you reach an immense, frozen subterranean lake that lies beneath the ruins of the Iovian city. Blasts of air have carved a network of tunnels through the lake, providing various paths to the surface.
The area has no natural illumination and is severely cold.
(If you do not have darkvision, please indicate how you are able to see in the natural darkness.)
Powerful gusts of warm air howl through these twisting tunnels of ice. The passages turn upon themselves and end in sudden precipices. The footing is treacherous, and a step to either side drops into chasms clouded by freezing mist. Navigating these tunnels in a timely fashion is a challenge.
To make progress, at least one of you will have to rely on your Climb or Survival skills to explore your route.
(If you wish to help the party by acting as a scout, please make two Climb or Survival checks.)
The tunnels here are slick.
(If you wish to move faster than half speed in this area, please make an Acrobatics check.)
[Please note the elapsed time (51 min) since departing the beachhead for any spell/buff durations.]
Alden's footsteps are slow but sure. Slipping would not have looked very well on him and the fact that months ago, his companions had pranked him by enchanting his flail with light was proving to be a boon now.
When they said it could be guiding light, they may or may not have meant this boorish as they maybe but he appreciated it now. Holding out his flail, he makes his way through the darkness.
HP 50/50 (15 temp) ... Arcane Reservoir 6/11 ... AC 16 touch 12 flat 14 ... CMD 13 ... SAVES(F/R/W) +5/+5/+8 (+2 vs. air/electricity) (+2 heroism)... NG female outsider (native) arcanist 8 ... Initiative +6 ... Perception +1 (+2 heroism) ... Sense Motive +1 (+2 heroism) ... Active Effects heroism 93 minutes ... false life 479 minutes ... mage armor 59 minutes ... endure elements 1327 minutes
Ninlil refreshes her Mage Armor spells on herself and Snaggletooth, and carefully helps the party navigate the icy maze!
"I had always thought that on the material plane, these types of bodies were abandoned and lifeless. How strange to find them occupied, like on the plane of air!"
Male Human Bard (Flame Dancer) 8.0 | HP 62/62 | Move 30 | AC 20 T 14 FF 17 , CMD 22 | F+6 R+11 W+7 : +1 vs. poisons, +1 vs. transform | Init +4 Low Light Vision Per +8 | Spells: 1st L 6/6, 2nd L 3/5, 3rd L 3/3 |Loremaster 1/1 | Performance 7/23
Urien remains near Alden as they travel, using the light from his flail to see, and making a mental note to look into getting a continual flame source of his own after this mission...
As the tunnels grow slick he ponders for a moment and then utters a short a short ditty while tapping out a slowly building rhythm on his buckler. He repeats it, his the ditty speeding with each repetition for a minute.
We tread to a beat.
With quick feet, quick feet.
Fast in a cave as fast on a street.
With quick feet, quick feet.
The faster the beat, the faster the feet.
Now we travel faster - our pace upbeat.
Activating the Bardic Masterpiece "Triple Time" to increase everyone's movement speed by 10 (enhancement bonus) for the next hour (or possibly until I start another bardic performance). This should allow us to still make slightly better time, even at half move.
With Theo leading the way and Uriel beating his makeshift drum and calling a masterpiece cadence, the party makes good progress initially, but after following the trail for about 5 minutes, even the ranger loses his way.
It takes another 10 minutes of backtracking to find the trail again.
(Need another set of Survival checks, Pathfinders. Theo's first check succeeded; the rest of the Survival checks failed. Don't forget the bonus from your wayfinder.)
[Please note the elapsed time (1 hour, 6 min) since departing the beachhead for any spell/buff durations.]
"I'm sure my instructors would have given glowing recommendation in my ability to lead a group in an unknown location." he brags as he points with confidence at an earlier rock outcropping that they have passed by.
The song has no affect on Theo! Doesn't stack with the longstrider
Theo seems a little annoyed, that he managed to lose his way so easily, despite the strange alien environment, he thought he had it sorted out for sure!
When Ninlil steps in and effortlessly shows both he and Haliban up, he retreats into a grumpy scowl.
As you make your way through the maze of tunnels in the frozen ice, Theo and Urien witness a terrible leviathan of the depths rushing toward you, upward through the ice.
Urien and Theo ONLY: Knowledge (religion) DC18:
This is a haunt, a manifestation of Kelizandri, the Brackish Emperor.
Male Human Bard (Flame Dancer) 8.0 | HP 62/62 | Move 30 | AC 20 T 14 FF 17 , CMD 22 | F+6 R+11 W+7 : +1 vs. poisons, +1 vs. transform | Init +4 Low Light Vision Per +8 | Spells: 1st L 6/6, 2nd L 3/5, 3rd L 3/3 |Loremaster 1/1 | Performance 7/23
knowledge religion, bardic knowledge, heroism:1d20 + 4 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 4 + 2 = 11 Well ... not a lot I could do about a haunt before it manifests anyway, I guess...
Incoming!
Standard action: full defense (not that it's likely to help).
Surprise Round
Bold may act.
Haliban
Urien
Hector
Ninlil
---
??
---
Fairbeaks
Alden
Theo
Theo, you're up in the Surprise Round!
[Please note the elapsed time (1 hour, 6 min) since departing the beachhead for any spell/buff durations. (Previous post incorrectly stated the elapsed time.)]
