Round 6 completed______________________
Managing to avoid all but one of the critter's attacks Sunny still winces as it manages to land a hit.
She landed a couple of her flurry of blows, she deals extra sneak damage flanking with Ghirrak. (I added average extra damage).
Moving to give the large Monk a clearer chance of having a go at their currently bothersom foe.
Bryson Dreadsaur focuses in on the four armed boss.
With a savage flurry of bites and claws, Bryson tears the Gargoyle king apart.
Eyes blood red, he turns towards his allies.
With his own enemies dealt with, Marius sent the thundercloud to start zapping Bryson's remaining small enemy, while beginning a steady barrage of magic missiles aimed at the larger, four-armed gargoyle.
Thoroughly (and apparently needlessly) distracted looking over his shoulder to gauge the well-being of Marius, Burian fails to score a clean hit against his current foe.
With the collapse of the gargoyle leader, the other gargoyles break and flee.
This allows you to unshackle and move your prisoned crew and passengers off the rock and through the channel , and thereby swim the short leg back to the beach where you left the rest of your party still safe and sound hidden amongst the boulders at the base of the cliff.
Round 6 completed______________________
This allows you to unshackle and move your prisoned crew and passengers off the rock and through the channel , and thereby swim the short leg back to the beach where you left the rest of your party still safe and sound hidden amongst the boulders at the base of the cliff.
Sunny does her best to first help people staunch any wounds.
"Dun't want tha' wrong critters gettin' tha' idea we's all tasty, like."
Plus does her best to gather anything about the place that might be of help to every one.
Bryson-Dreadsaur only sees enemies and meals.
Annie jumped off the bridge and landed on Bryson's neck.
"Bryson! Please stop! They're gone now!" She shouted.
"For me..." She whispered.
Marius could only trust that Annie's intervention would make the difference. At the very least, he was sure he wouldn't hurt her. Marius had a couple of options to evade or thwart Bryson until he came back to himself, but nevertheless, the predatory look in his eyes still sent a shiver down his spine.
Bryson roared and leapt into the water next to Marius with a gigantic splash, tooth filled maw descending on the wizard...
... when Annie's touch and voice penetrated through the wall of demonic rage. Bryson stopped. And staggered back a step. But he managed to wrest control back and was himself again. But it hurt, doing that.
At the sound of the roar echoing off the cavern's walls Sunny stands up and looks around.
Seeing Master Bryson splashing about in the water next to Mister Marius has the tanned Elf happily bouncing over to join in all the fun. (^_^)
Marius was, very abruptly, replaced by a whirling vortex of air which retreated, kicking up a spray of water as it went. Whether he would have reacted quickly enough if Bryson hadn't managed to restrain himself was a dubious prospect, as was whether transforming into a whirlwind rendered him entirely safe. If nothing else, he couldn't keep it up forever.
He maintained the whirlwind form for long and steadily extending moments, kicking up spray and perhaps working up the nerve to transform back again. Bad enough that the island in general wanted him and his friends dead. He did not need Bryson trying to eat him.
Ghirrak stands at the edge of the rock, every muscle tensed ready to leap at Bryson, when he sees his friend regain control. With a quiet sigh her returns to ensuring the crew get to safety.
Once Bryson has control of himself, he changes back to his base humanoid form. Bryson finds a corner away from everyone else to perch on. He's very reminiscent of the gargoyles that they just drove off.
Is there a boat or anything that we can use to get back to the main island?
With the other gargoyles broken and fleeing, this allows you to unshackle and move your prisoned crew and passengers off the rock and through the channel.
You all swim the short leg back to the beach where you left the rest of your party still safe and sound hidden amongst the boulders at the base of the cliff.
Marius became a bit more settled over time, scooping up the fallen crown of the large gargoyle to examine when he had a moment. That moment came when they arrived back with the main group.
He wasn't sure how much further they were going to get today, but any extra ground they could safely cover would be progress at least.
Sunny does her bestest to help all her freinds move through the waters and back to the beach.
(^_^)
Moving further down the beach until you are out of sight of any remaining goblins, you all take the rest of the day to rest, recover and heal.
You discover that it has two primary powers.
Once per day as a free action, the crown can be activated to give the wearer DR5/Adamantine for 10 minutes, giving his skin the appearance of stone.
The crown also gives its wearer a special smite attack usable thrice per day against creatures touching natural stone or earth. The wearer gains a +4 bonus on attack and damage roll when using this special strike. The wearer must declare he is using this ability before making the attack.
This item takes up the hat body slot when worn.
Over the next three days, your castaways travel another 18 miles along the beach, then up the cliffs on another section of the ancient road.
You come across a narrow mountain pass to the west, where a branch of the old road turns inland away from the beach and into the jungle.
Following the beach, you come to where it abruptly ends. The elements have worn the cliffs away here so that the road collapsed into the surf. There isn't even a beach to continue on, just crashing surf slamming into vertical cliffs. You have to go back and turn inland.
The mountain pass itself is a ten mile journey through twisting canyons of rock. There are plenty of places to stop and rest along the narrow path, and there is plenty of both water (rills of rain runoff) and food (nuts and berries) along the way, certainly more plentiful than along the cliffs.
When the mountain pass finally comes to an end, you find yourselves on the edge of a great and dark fog-shrouded jungle.
The ancient roadway leads down into the mysterious jungle. Leaves drip with condensation and the canopy above sings with strange bird calls.
An inordinate number of small serpents make their home on the jungle floor, but they seem to avoid the castaways whenever possible.
While the undergrowth is relatively light, the ground is wet and muddy, verging on swampland in places.
The trees are twisted and deformed in some places, while others sport large tumors that leak pale green ooze.
The fog that shrouds this jungle is ever-present and limits visibility to 60 feet, making land navigation difficult.
In the afternoon, the daily torrential downpour comes, the blood warm water washing a lot of your mud and sweat away, but making finding a place to rest for the night a problem.
After several hours, and twilight falls swiftly, you stumble across some old ruins in a relatively dry clearing in the jungle.
Small piles of rubble dot the ruins, and an empty fire pit sits in the center.
Off in the northwest corner of the ruins stands a crude wooden frame in the shape of an "X".
Bound upside-down to this frame is the corpse of an Olman man, his legs high in the air.
Even from afar, it's easy to tell that the gaping wound in the center of his chest killed the man.
Bryson spends the next couple of days worried about how the others feel about him after his near murderous rampage and afraid that he might finish what he started to do. He stays further away from the group than normal.
He notices the island and points it out to Ghirrak, careful not to let Forol or Tavey hear them speak.
=============================================================
As he leads the group through the jungle, he calls Forol and Skald to look at some of the fruit and other flowers, concerned about how they look.
He tries some to make sure they're safe and finds them bad tasting but not poisonous.
He continues to lead the group trying to find the safest path he can.
=========================================================
Bryson makes sure that Ghirrak and the other PCs see the crucified olman before he goes over to investigate it.
Can Bryson tell how long the body has been here or find any tracks?
Marius was unsure whether this was another effort at intimidation or a trap of some sort. He leaned towards a trap and hung back, watching for someone to take advantage of their distraction and attack the crew.
"Watch yourselves," he said aloud, "That might be an effort to draw our attention away from where it should be."
He had described the powers of the crown to the others, expecting that one of the front-liners might appreciate the combination of offense and defense. If not, he could certainly make use of the defensive side.
Sunny skips along quite at home in the steaming tropics. As she's been foing all along since arriving she's doing her best to help her freinds 'Get along' in the jungle.
As the party comes to the larger open spaces of the ruins Sunny looks about.
"Oooo... I dun't like tha' looks a that..." She whispers to whom ever she next to in the group. Her eyes scan around, both at thier level as well as up into the trees.
Can Bryson tell how long the body has been here or find any tracks?
As you approach the body on the rack, it is easy to see that the gaping wound in the center of his chest killed the man.
When you approach within ten feet of the corpse, it suddenly begins to speak in broken Common.
"Welcome to my home, travelers. You come a long way only to stay here forever. At least you live. That is good for now. My home is your home, now and forever."
You feel the fear wash over the castaways as they scream; they start backing away and looking for paths to flee.
"Ooo... so not good.." Sunny mutters before turning her attention to keeping people together and spears/sticks pointed outwards.
"Stay ta 'gether! We's kep' worse an these away afore!" She calls to her friends even as she steps towards one edge of the group ready to help defend people. She glances to Master Bryson and Master Ghirrak.
"Any one see any one fer Master Bryson ta' go all teeth and victory on?" She asks even as she seeks out some foe.
Sunny doesn't forget to look up into the branches above....
"Wait!" Marius called, "They want you to run off into the jungle!"
It was such a very obvious and transparent ploy, but that wouldn't mean anything to people in the grip of fear. Here, at least, they'd be able to see the enemy coming. In the jungle, spread out, they could be picked off one by one.
The scent of fear causes Bryson's heightened predatory senses to expand. He recognizes his want to hunt and to kill for what it is, though. He turns to the gaggle, catches the 'eye' of No-Eyes Bellamy, Skald, and a few others before barking out, "Quiet and no one move." He stands to his full height and extends his wings to appear bigger.
As Bryson draws the attention of the panicking castaways, Ghirrak advances on the talking corpse.
As you advanced, the corpse only chuckled dryly and repeated "No Hope" and "Trapped" and "Betrayal".
Bryson's sudden shout at the cringing castaways cowed most of them to freezing, but some of them broke and ran screaming South into the jungle... astonishingly, as they vanished out of sight in the foliage, they reemerged in the north, where they skidded to a halt confused and frightened.
Suddenly, another Bryson appeared. Then another, and another and another... until there are fully six Large Brysons on the field.
The first one bellowed "Yes! Thank you Bryson for leading the lambs to the slaughter! NOW LET US FEAST!" He screamed as they attacked.
And that these new guys have been haunting your footsteps from afar for the last week.
Round 1___________________________
Players take their turns in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Sunny doesn't innitially bat an eyelid at the fleeing people's reactions/behaviour. Doing her best to sheppered them back into the protection of the group.
"Keep yer guard up. Things is gettin'..." And then the voice decries Master Bryson's character and yet MORE master Brysons appear.
Sunny frowns, "That in't right..." She peers intently at the others...
She deftly picks one of her little wooden spikes out of her gear and absently tosses it 'At' one of the Bryson's that hadden'tbeen there but a moment before.
"Enough of this," Marius said flatly, conjuring a wall of ice between the group and the closest of the false Brysons. It wouldn't stop the creature (it could no doubt go around or over the barrier), but it would buy some breathing room for him to try and bolster morale.
"We're being played," he told the crew, turning to them, "Nobody's betrayed anybody, and a lot of the fear you're feeling is magically induced. Stick together and support each other - that's how we'll get through this. And if anyone has a means of countering fear spells or bolstering peoples' courage, now is the time."
Bryson is vexed. He wants to help them, but hates them for being so weak, and is concerned that anything he does will be the wrong thing.
Round 1___________________________
Sunny doesn't innitially bat an eyelid at the fleeing people's. Doing her best to shepherd them back into the protection of the group.
In spite of their panic, they start obeying Sunny.
"Keep yer guard up. Things is gettin'..." And then the voice decries Master Bryson's character and yet MORE master Brysons appear.
She deftly picks one of her little wooden spikes out of her gear and absently tosses it 'At' one of the Bryson's that hadden't been there but a moment before.
The little spike bounced off new Bryson’s hide dealing no damage.
Ghirrak Ironfist concentrated trying to see if his eyes were fooling him, but they seem real.
"Enough of this," Marius said flatly, conjuring a wall of ice between the group and the closest of the false Brysons.
"We're being played," he told the crew “And if anyone has a means of countering fear spells or bolstering peoples' courage, now is the time."
casting wall of ice to create a barrier 40 feet long and 20 feet high between the group and the closest 'Bryson', with Burian at the end-point.
Bryson is vexed. He wants to help them, but hates them for being so weak, and is concerned that anything he does will be the wrong thing.
Bryson 2 pounced on Monkey Jimbo with a terrifying yowl, grazing him for light damage.
Bryson 3 pounced on Mitch Scabb, who is promptly mangled for lots of damage.
Bryson 4 pounced on Burian
for a possible damage.
for a possible damage.
for a possible damage.
Bryson 5 sailed over Sunny to pounce on the blonde guy, but missed.
Bryson 6 slammed into the wall of ice, which cracked, but bounced off.
Annie waived her holy symbol and “Bless” settles over the party.
Round 2___________________________
Players take their turns in order of posting, enemies will go last.
"Gah!" (O_o)
Sunny is suddenly taken aback at these new Bryson's being real.
More of her little wooden spikes appear in her hands as she simply runs at the new monster swiping at Burian.
Both little blades snapping off nastily in the wounds.
Sunny yells, "You is IT!" As she continues to race past the beasty.
Bryson launches himself at Bryson-Fake 2.
Bite: gtr magic fang, charge
With one of the demons already amongst the crew, Marius opted for the old standby of the thundercloud, hoping the persistent lightning strikes would push it to withdraw.
Ghirrak charges toward one of the false Brysons isolated by the icefall, striking out with a vicious knee.
Round 2 completed___________________________
Sunny is suddenly taken aback at these new Bryson's being real.
More of her little wooden spikes appear in her hands as she simply runs at the new monster swiping at Burian.
Her first attack hit dead center in Bryson’s spine for modest damage.
Both little blades snapping off nastily in the wounds.
Bleed dam:1d4 ⇒ 4 (Continues every round untill healed)
"TAG!" Sunny yells, "You is IT!" As she continues to race past the beasty.
Bryson launches himself at Bryson-Fake 2, but missed.
Marius opted for the old standby of the thundercloud, hoping the persistent lightning strikes would push it to withdraw. Lightning lashed out at Bryson, dealing critical damage.
Ghirrak charges toward one of the false Brysons isolated by the icefall, striking out with a vicious knee and connecting for moderate damage.
Others of the crew attacked various Brysons, to little apparent effect.
Many of the passengers fled the fighting, only to reappear on the other side of the battlefield!
Bryson 2 dropped Monkey Jimbo to turn and attack Bryson Prime.
for a possible damage.
for a possible damage. for a possible extra damage.
for a possible damage.
Bryson 3 bit down into another passenger for critical damage.
Bryson 4 attacked Burian.
for a possible damage.
for a possible damage.
for a possible damage.
Bryson 5 attacked and damaged Bonden and Hammerfist.
Bryson 6 turned and attacked Ghirrak.
for a possible damage.
for a possible damage.
for a possible damage.
Round 3___________________________
Players take their turns in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Sunny scampers away from her first target towards the monster probably not Bryson that's threatening Gull Street Anny and her group. Leaving her first target to continue to bleed...
Bryson swings his blade before going in with tooth and claw.
Scimitar +1:
Scimitar +1:
Bite +1:
Claw +1:
Effortlessly blocking or deflecting the incoming attacks, Ghirrak retaliates with a vicious headbutt, following up with a series of strikes to test the creature's defenses.
"I don't think they like lightning!" Marius called out, though he was unsure if any of the others would be able to capitalise on that knowledge.
Thankfully, he himself was capable of taking advantage of such a weakness. Leaving the thundercloud to continue to crackle away at its original target, he repositioned himself, carefully judging his angles, and let fly with a lightning bolt, hoping to bring down at least one of the false Brysons and free up allies to direct their efforts elsewhere.