Invisible forces move aside brush to reveal wagon tracks, point out lost scraps of fabric snagged on trees, and make whispering sounds to guide Donavin as he finds his way leading to the caravan north through the lesser-traveled path of Spirit Road. Inadvertently, the PCs and their ethereal guides leave a bit of a "wake" behind them, and suddenly realize they are not alone in their path...
Your Detect Magic sensor bleeps, and you spot the creature trying to sneak up from almost 50 feet out - the same creature you saw in your visions!
It is completely Observed by you, despite ending it's movement behind Cover while trying to Sneak!
However, the beast is cunning, and manages to remain Hidden to your best friend Sasha.
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Initiative
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Raini
???
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Raini and Sasha are Up!
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Raini tries to raise the alarm with his companions quickly. "The Poracha creature is sneaking up behind us! His companion is unseen as of yet! We are under attack. To arms!" shouts the tiny druid as he jumps down from the wagon, crouching under it for cover. The druid then launches a spell, pointing at the area behind them.
A powerful blast of pressurized water flies unerringly towards the magical creature, blasting it squarely and pushing it back 10 feet!
Raini blasts a creature only he can see, but a moment later, all seems eerily quiet...
Shaking it's body to dry itself, you see it "wink" out of existence and quickly reappear about 40 feet closer to the wagon from where you had blasted it back 10 feet initially, before suddenly losing your bearing upon it as it takes cover in the nearby trees...
You remember reading about a Poracha from a children's book terrorizing the adults and tantalizing their children. It has an ability to compel enemies that attack it to instead attack eachother, as the group of young protagonists ultimately defeated in by standing at least 15 feet apart and pelting it with rocks.
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Raini
Poracha?
Keemul
Donavin
Lucian
Arlen
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The Party (except Raini) is Up!
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Keemul whips around at the noise and apparent fact that the team is under attack. "Behind us, you say?" Following a confirmation from Raini, he leaps from his seat and tears back the way the carts came.
"Hit it from a distance? Does it look like I can throw this thing?! I'll have to work on that..."
No idea what he is doing, unable to see or hear any Porachas, and heeding Lucian's advice, Keemul bravely strides to the last place he think he thought he heard Raini say it was: Ready for anything!"
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Raini
Poracha?
Keemul
Donavin
Lucian
Arlen
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Arlen, Donovin, and Lucian are Up!
"Remembering" how to best deal with a Poracha, Lucian calls "Whoa" to the horses, who stop, then steps sideways off the wagon, doing his best to seek the creature of the childhood stories he used to read (have read to him!?)...
Scanning a 15-foot radius around you, you are unable to see of hear any threats.
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Raini
Poracha?
Keemul
Donavin
Lucian
Arlen
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Arlen and Donavin are Up!
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- Success!
"Hidden enemies? Let's see if we can draw them out. Donavin says, managing to suppress the need to run away that had come from the spirit within.
He jumps down from his horse, moving into the woods. The half-elf draws his Falchion in one smooth movement and with a quick flash of magic casts Shield.
"Come out wherever you are."
(◆) Move as 30 foot around the path
(◆) Draw his sword
(◆) Cast [I]Shield[/s]
Arlen is Up!
Arlen widens his senses about him, scanning 360 degrees around his person, preparing to combo punch any enemy that closes within his range...
...Suddenly, across the western side of the wagon, the beast strikes from out of hiding, and biting Raini cleanly in the leg, just as suddenly "disappears" into the tree cover north above it's striking position...
You remember reading about a Poracha from a children's book terrorizing the adults and tantalizing their children. It has an ability to compel enemies that attack it to instead attack eachother, as the group of young protagonists ultimately defeated in by standing at least 15 feet apart and pelting it with rocks.
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Poracha Jaunt Cooldown = 3, 2...
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The Party is Up!
The beast stares at the wee gnome from the bushes, confident in it's abilities as a silent predator, when it suddenly dawns on it: Keemul can see it crouched low! Never-the-less, it skillfully rolls in the brushes to avoid Keemul's crashing hammer, tracking you with it's shining blue-energied eyes...
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The Party (except Keemul) is Up!
"Spying from the brush, Poracha eyes the wizard, and smiles as he believes him about to cast a spell that will bolster his allies or tend to eachothers wounds, or some other useless application against an apex predator such as itself - and is surprised again to be subject to the assault of an offensive force blast! The beast reals, then continues to crouch low, confident to at least remain hidden from the rest of the gnome and elf's party, and darting it's eyes between them to determine the next victim of it's pounce and retreat style of hunting...
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Arlen, Donovin, and Raini are Up!
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"Aha, there you are!" Donavin grins as he spots the beast and will rushes through the trees, making plenty of noise and he goes direct for the beast with his falchion in hand. He twists slightly to the north to take advantage of Keemul's positioning when he reaches it, and then swings his blade downwards in a wide arc, more power than skill.
◆ Stride, ◆ Stride, ◆ Strike!
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Donavin will imagine himself doing all that charging and slaying, but in actual fact he will move into the forest, and then when he is near Lucien, he drops his blade at his feet, draws and light hammer and lobs it towards the Poracha. Thrown more with force than accuracy, it lands nowhere near it.
◆ Stride, ◇ Drop Weapon, ◆ Interact (Draw Weapon), ◆ Strike!
Poracha quickly realizes his position is ill-suited to hunt properly, as Raini blasts him with another cold bolt and Sasha sinks her teeth into one of his several legs, as Arlen and Donavin approach fast but both missing in turn a flurry of blows and a hurled hammer (veering wide and striking Keemul on his chain-mailed chest before thudding ineffectually onto the dirt). He answers with a bite and claw of his own - Sasha narrowly avoiding a jugular blow twisting her neck beneath the tree cover! - before "disappearing" once more amongst the brush.
Poracha is Observed by you - and is currently underneath the backside of the cart - next to Raini lurking with a killing look!
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Poracha Jaunt Reset >
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The Party is Up!
Poracha is blissfully unaware how fully off his game he is while he watches with glee as Keemul looks for him high, low, and sideways. Expecting the same result with Donavin, he is surprised to see Donavin strike into his square! Fortunately, his cat-like reflexes kick in, and he dodges the scimitar slash with feline grace.
Poracha is Observed by you - and is currently underneath the backside of the cart - next to Raini lurking with a killing look!
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You remember reading about a Poracha from a children's book terrorizing the adults and tantalizing their children. It has an ability to compel enemies that attack it to instead attack eachother, as the group of young protagonists ultimately defeated in by standing at least 15 feet apart and pelting it with rocks.
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Arlen, Lucian, Raini, and Sasha are Up!
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Raini spots the hungry and angry Poracha cozied right up to him. The frightened druid calls to his companion to aid him.
Meanwhile, Raini is shouting and pointing at the mystical beast while backing away from its terrible sharp teeth and claws.
The black panther sprints across the distance to fight off the beast, occupying the very spot Raini departed from. Once there, the panther takes a bite!
Poracha manages to remain hidden from Sasha and Arlen, dodging expertly and from cover, but Arlen's first strike rings true, knocking the beast in it's rib. While Raini steps back and confirms Donavin's pin-pointing attack, Lucian is able to target the feline with an electric attack, but the kitty instinctively rolls, easily evading the bolt completely.
It is starting to look hurt! Those to whom it is not Hidden (Donavin, Raini, and now Lucian) see it look off in the opposite direction briefly - as if contemplating something - before reverting to it's vicious hunting and stalking of the party...
...It strikes out retributively and furiously at Arlen - but just misses due to his Tree Cover - before again disappearing into the woods - successfully confounding everyone as to whether he went North or South from his now-abandoned position under the cart...
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Poracha Jaunt Reset =
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Special Actions
As a single action (◆), Donavin, Raini, or Lucian may attempt to glean Poracha's motives by rolling a Perception Check to Sense Motive, opening each spoiler below your check meets or exceeds:
A strange mixture of emotion - anger and worry - cross the beast's intelligent face when he looks away for a moment - as if he was looking for someone? - but deciding on the spot that although he is hurt, he best not retreat or surrender just quite yet...
Because of his concerns (see previous spoiler), you can probably talk him into surrendering or retreating with a moderately difficult Request (Diplomacy) check!
As a single action (◆), anyone Trained in Nature may make a Recall Knowledge (Nature) check, assessing Poracha's hunting style a little more closely, opening the spoiler on a Success:
His movement speed is 40 feet, which halves to 20 in difficult terrain, and halves again to 10 when he is Sneaking through difficult terrain.
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The Party is Up!
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Donavin thinks on how the creature hunts his prey. Having spent plenty of time in the forests of his homeland.
◆
Having spent so much time in the forests of his homeland, he is familiar with stalking creatures.
"Can't have gone far." he tells the others.
"It will have been slowed by trying to stalk away through the thick grasses."
He will then his prey, and if he spots them.
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Raini will use this lull as an opportunity to heal his companion. Using a ranged effect, the druid pushes positive energy into Sasha to bind and heal her wound.
Raini then attempts to sense the motive of the creature.
"We're not out of this fight yet. My mom always said, "It's not over 'til it's over!". Keep looking out for it!" offers Raini.
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Keemul puts his adamantine spine on display as he swings his hammer over one shoulder and fastens it there. He then unfolds an intricate flail. The gnome also picks up Donavin's spare weapon, just in case of an immediate need for it or a hasty exit. "Where is this stupid thing?! Completely bankrupt of honor and showmanship, it is."
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Lucian, when you cast a spell, please post your spell DC too, as it greatly assists me in running GM side of the screen.
As the beast manages to disappear into the foliage again, Lucian tries to anticipate from the direction it went to figure out where best to look for it.
(◆)Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
If he spies it, he'll electric arc it (DC 17 reflex), if not, he'll draw his dagger and prepare an action to stab it if it comes in range.
Not knowing where the beastie went, Lucien simply gets ready to defend himself.
Donavin is unable to spy the creature, but he is able to analyze it's hunting pattern more closely, sharing his analysis with his party. Arlen is also unable to spy the creature, and wavers over what to do. Raini heals his best friend, and notices something about the beast, offering his advice to keep pressing it. Keemul successfully juggles between three weapons, following Raini's lead of making use of the "lull". He then insults the beast, perhaps verbally expressing a frustration felt by the whole party. Lucian too is unable to spy the creature, readying a dagger to strike anything that moves unseen about him.
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Donavin is Up!
Arlen is Up!
Poracha strikes from unseen! Attacking Arlen with a bite which misses, followed by a claw that leaves a deep gash across his torso! Before once again disappearing into the brush...
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Poracha (-22 hydro, -9 force, -8 cold, -6 bite, -6 punch)
Arlen (-13 bite, -22 claw)
Donavin
Keemul
Lucian
Raini (-14 bite)
Sasha (-13 bite, +12 heal)
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The Party is Up!
Poracha, having struck at Arlen from between him and Keemul, ducks back below the brush. Keemul, having now switched to a weapon with greater range, stands at the ready to swack it if it attacks again within his threatened area. Lucian, having first attempted to discern it among the scrub, does the same with his dagger.
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Poracha (-22 hydro, -9 force, -8 cold, -6 bite, -6 punch)
Arlen (-13 bite, -22 claw)
Donavin
Keemul >>ready @ 10-ft<<
Lucian >>ready @ 5-ft<<
Raini (-14 bite)
Sasha (-13 bite, +12 heal)
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Arlen, Donavin, Raini and Sasha are Up!
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Hoping the others develop a method to anticipate the Porcha's appearance and attack, Raini focuses on healing his gravely injured ally.
Using his staff of healing, Raini targets the monk and directs a beam of positive energy at him.
With his remaining action, Raini directs Sasha to seek out the enemy.
Sasha uses her keen senses to find the enemy and point it out to the others.