Rollo gives the great Dragon directions; imploring him to spread the word to his fellows.
He then journeys along with the group to the Forge.
Before the enemy gets close enough to hear her (before they hit 200 feet), Marella casts a series of spells and then takes to the air invisibly to come down on the opposing group from above. She times her descent to when Lyra opens fire, then hovers just five feet over the center of the group, letting her aura of silence blanket as many of them as she can manage. As she does, Marella calls on her patron to drag the nearest human soldier down into slumber.
With Tar Um Farsin, As soon as Rollo begins offering directions, The dragon Tar silences him with a growl and then casts message, saying, in the message, "Such things must not be said out loud. Ears can be everywhere. But tell me where, I know it must be in these Southern lands at least." when Rollo tells her, she says "Remarkable, it has been in my land all these centuries and I did nothing! What an oversight. Those bothersome beetles were the guardians! How ironic. To think the toll I could charge! But how could I enforce it? Best to go with you Oomsatta when you leave. I will spread word, no doubt!" Of the dragons Rollo has met, the rotund Tar is the most ... cautious of them. She seems in no hurry to fight anyone despite her immense bulk.
At the ambush:
As Lyra fires,
Two shots bounce off the undead leader and three other shots tear into other soldiers as another soldier falls over asleep. With these effects operating, two soldier fire rocket launchers that go wild and then the group falls back twenty feet to bank of snow for cover (shoveling higher), with the sleeping soldier carried to the bank.
Note: It began snowing a little while before the ambush began, vision is now limited to about 250 feet.
So, with the soldiers seeking cover and snow falling off-and-on, the decoy party is able to get to the East side of the ridge. During the next few hours, the decoys are able to manipulate the movements of the soldiers as they seek out the party. The brown birds mostly vanish with the snow.
Paritosh and Armaund continue as flying scouts (and Terex could can join them if he wishes). Arlo and Rollo are with the hunting party. At the same time, Armaund at times appears to the decoy at times help foil the soldiers, laughing and joking with Lyra over their exploits.
By afternoon, the decoy party is able to slip entirely away from the soldiers if they wish.
At the same time, the hunting party moves begins to hunt for underground passages to The Forge (Rollo should make a knowledge geography to figure out a passage to the forge - you probably won't find it until tomorrow but you never know). The hunt party also prepares a set of instructions for the Oomsatta who would later march through here in large numbers (noting that the larger group with have to carry rope, ladders, wood to use for bridges to cross streams and so-forth). Rollo will have to have move between both groups certain points - he'll be needed to create the decoy forge as well as to find the underground entrance (he could fly with Armaund or dimension if the group got close).
She laughed along with Armaund as he told her of his past. Tell him jokes she knew as they pushed and guided the troops on a wild Snark chance.
But it was clear they now had weather clover to slip away and join the main group.
"Right team, we are done here, Rollo should have the Illusion up by now. With this weather cover, we can slip away."
Rollo gives the directions to the Oomsatta through the maze of the Underground. The Sage avoids the Purple Worm area, as to avoid any unpleasantries.
Using their awesome stealth and survival, the decoy group leads the soldier group on a chase at the tree line, appearing and disappearing over a six hour period, finally Rollo creates an illusionary apparent entrance to one of the large spires. As the group slips away, they leave the undead captain puzzling over the means of entering the thing.
Then, this group rejoins Arlo, Minna and the group scouting in the forest and Rollo begins searching in earnest for an entrance that will lead to The Forge. Two hours after sun down and after one false start, he finally finds the proper entrance and the party, Minna, Armaund and the Oomsatta scouts head down into the darkness and begin a four hour walk, finally getting back to the Forge in a single day.
Ethnir, the building spirit, greets the group. However, Oomsatta scouts have marched longer than a day and while they are awestruck, they are exhausted and choose to sleep in the middle of the Forge.
Once the group wakes up, the scouts begins to intently question Ethnir. Obmones, Celbrin, and Modono have a series of questions from the Earth Speaker, The Animal Speaker and The Plant Speaker, respectively and discussion goes for most of the day. Rollo, Terex and anyone interested in the lore may join in. The questions are about the future world as well as how the Oomsatta arrived at their present location. The change will be huge and the tribe will have to learn new crafts and new rituals to go with the elemental forces of the new world. But situation is new and promising.
Further, during that day, Ethnir thanks the party and expresses their gratitude. Further, the building spirits have decided to offer the party a reward, using their prowess as builders.
She thanks the Guardian and sets to working with the others.
Rollo seemingly in 13 places at once; does remember that part of the plan is to cast Mirage Arcana to allow for the enemy to waste the time for the Oomsatta to escape safely.
The Sage creates a False Forge for them to explore.
That should be quite the waste of time for them.
He laughs.
Once the dhampir actually locates the correct path to the real Forge...
I swear these rocks all look the same! Haven't we already passed that wellspring twice? Einy, meany, miny moe! This way; I am certain of it!
Once the actual Forge is found, the Sage introduces the Oomsatta to the Guardian; joining them in any fun discussions.
Terex gladly participates in the discussion, though he restrains himself from asking too many of his own questions. Mostly he listens and tries to soak up all he can of the information.
She spent some time trying to get over to the earth-building spirit what she wanted. A means to have her force field up v her circuitry all the time. It would be weaker but it would she hoped to offer some protection from environmental factors as well. The earth-building spirit offered as well to craft her a tattoo that would help her deal other danger. She brought out the rear elements she had collected from the other sites to aid in the crafting.
Then she spends time with Armaund showing him her new tattoos and chit-chatting about things.
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Further, during that day, Ethnir thanks the party and expresses their gratitude. Further, the building spirits have decided to offer the party a reward, using their prowess as builders. ...
Arlo thinks for several minutes. Then the dwarf tells Ethnir he's ready with his choices. The Oomsatta asks Arlo to sit next to the fire and concentrate on what he wishes to be built. Arlo sit down in a meditative pose and stares into the fire. After a few moments, rocks begin to erupt from the fire. Flaming rocks that quickly take shape of a dwarf warrior fighting unwinnable odds, but still keeps fighting. In the firelight, Arlo's feature looking even more grim and haunted. The dwarf combatant eventually morphs into the shape of a sphere which rolls out of the fire nearly touching the dwarf's knee. The rock sphere looks like it's rapidly cooling, losing it's fiery glow. Then the sphere cracks open and crumbles, revealing two items inside. One is a pair of silver bracers, polished to a mirrored sheen. The other is a pair of dwarven-make boots with large traction soles and an lightning motifs on both sides. Arlo collects his new items and bows before Ethnir before leaving the campfire to put on his items.
In many ways, Ethnir's comments repeat what was said before - how this world was forged in the very earliest days, in a day when powers of creation seemed to spring everywhere.
When they become excited, Ethnir shifts to a more nebulous form and projects images out of the air. These descriptions in total actually give Rollo, Terex and anyone with knowledge planes 10 or higher, who's paying attention, some idea how a planeswalker might reach "the solar poles of creation", planar zone near the Beast Land which planar creation powers are magnified considerably (though naturally choosing the proper approach to such creation is a challenging question).
After this, Ethnir forges your various items and then, the next day you begin the move back.
On emerging into the forest, the party and scouts together find an interesting alternative way back - a river-canyon now almost wholly overgrown with weeds and tree-branch but still 30' wide at the bottom with room for many to walk - basic, a river that's nearly dry this time of year, before the true snow melt. While this sort of place is also a logical ambush point for predictors, you decide to scout it and possibly clear it as an alternate rout to the forge. Those in the party naturally take the lead. So, as you are three hours into the walk...
She unholsters her pistols as she points out the snakes'
"Right, there is no going around them, Arlo front and center with the Hunters, Terex, Marella, Air cover. I and Rollo will give range attacks. Also, Rollo, what's that magic glow?"
Terex thinks for a while about what he wants before confering with Ethnir for a while. Then the earth spirit gestures, and a few thin strands of stone weave themselves together into a short rod, which snaps off of the wall and drops in front of the little dragon. He mantles gratefully to Ethnir before stowing the rod.
Terex notes the snakes as well. As he takes to the air, he looks both for cover, and for hints as to just what has happened to these creatures. Is this a sign of loose magical energies in the area that might portend further dangers ahead?
But he hasn't a clue whether or not that idea has merit.
"Right", the dwarf nods in agreement with the android. "Hunters! Attack!"
Arlo rushes forward to meet the giant snakes.
"Hopefully if we show some aggression they may run from the fight"
She will ask Rollo to bless her rounds.
Her shield now up, and studying one, Lady Lyra lets a volley go.
It did seem difficult to pry Rollo away from the discussions with the Guardians...
Through some Foliage...
Rollo takes point with the others. The dhampir enjoying the finding of the new route.
Rollo sees the rather large snakes as the others do.
Rollo will gladly enchant Lady Lyra's bullets.
Named Bullet
Marella starts preparation as soon as Lyra says the word. She casts three spells in succession and starting speeding, in the air, toward the one Arlo and his dwarves aren't charging.
All lyra's shots hits the one on the North side of the stream, injuring it considerably. Then Arlo and the most experienced scouts (Obmones, Celbrin, Modono and Corm) rush forward as the two snakes also rush forward. One snaps at Arlo, missing barely and the other proceeds past the scouts Obmones, Celbrin, who brace their spear against it but wind up with their weapon impaled in the thing and out of their reach (but you can estimate they do about 20 points of damage together to it). The creature then the proceeds to grab Lady Lira, squeezing her for 35 points of damage and grappling her (This is the injured snake). With Lyra grappled in it's coils, the snake assumes a defensive posture as does the snake near Arlo. Corm stabs the one near Arlo for 5 point of damage and some young scouts come up to the one near Lira and attack for 2 and 3 points respectively (so it's looking injured with 95 point of damage but lots of life still in it).
Seeing the snake injured by Lyra's shots charge forward at the android, Marella doesn't even have to move forward. Hovering near the gargantuan snake, she slashes at it multiple times with Silkshadow.
"Well this was new" She thought to herself as the thing moved much faster than she expected and before she knows it the thing had her in its coils. The one good thing about her suit was it gave some protection and not having to breathe helped. Unable to move if she did not get out soon she was doomed. She tried to riggle out from her predicament.
But no luck, she would have trust the others to get here out before the thing crushed her. This was just a fact, she felt no fear or pain just a frustration for being in such a postion.
"LYRA!"
Arlo charges at the snake holding the android in it's coils and attacks.
Terex darts in while the mutant snakes are distracted and stings the snake holding Lyra.
As the snake was killed its death tossed Lyra body like a rag-doll
into a deeper part of the river, where she sank like a stone.
Marella dives into the river--at last in her home element--and peers through the deep darkness, searching for Lyra.
Rollo (staying far away from combat) watches the fantastic show he has ever seen!
Roll seeing the enormous snake grab Lady Lyra--and--hovers her over water; the Sorcerer quickly casts Levitate on her!
Seeing that Rollo has saved the plummeting android, Marella resuurfaces into the air and turns her attention back to the other snake.
You swim down and finds Lyra on her face in about 6' of water, the stream is having a hard time shifting her. When you try and move her you realize she is a lot heavier than she looks, some 280lb. She seems dead, unmoving, and with no signs of life.
Perception or Healing
She is a construct so life signs do not mean dead.
She seems to be healing herself
As you tug she comes back online and pushing herself off the river floor sits up and looks at you.
You can see her mouth the words
What Happoned?
On the surface, as Arlo runs after Lyra, the other giant, gray-blue snake leaps forward and attacks him, doing 30 point of damage and grappling him in it's huge coils, raising him several feet off the ground in the process.
As the creature rushes forward at Arlo, the Oomsatta scouts engage in a volley of spear attacks, hitting the creature 4 times for 24 total points of damage. The scout group is moving to surround the creature while maintaining a lookout for other enemies. Looking somewhat worried, one of the scouts asks Rollo if he can use his magic to free Arlo.
Speaking easily underwater, Marella says:
"The snake had you in its coils. I killed it; you fell."
Seeing Arlo get constricted by the other snake--and Lyra apparently doing fine--the undine flies back to get into the fight.
Thanks
She mouths Marella and reaches out a hand to be helped up. As she stands, her head breaking the water as 7. To her shock she sees Arlo in the same predicament she was in pulling her blades she fights the water to get to him.
"ARLO!!"
Terex hovers just to one side of the snake crushing Arlo, darting in for another sting as Marella flies up to attack it.
As he sticks his little stinger into another vulnerable spot in the huge serpent, Terex mentally goes over his inventory of wands and scrolls. Unfortuantely he doesn't think he has any that would be more helpful in this situation than his tiny bit of damage, so he makes a mental note to look for scrolls that would help with teleporting or escaping being crushed.
Rollo decides to cast Levitate on Arlo instead.
Rollo really concentrates.
Marella, seeing that Lyra is not in any danger, flies toward the remaining giant snake and reaches it, but is not able to attack.
Propelled by Rollo's spell, Arlo is pulled violently up and out of the blue-gray monster's coils! Whereupon the creature turns it's attention to Roll, plowing through Oomsatta spearmen, pouncing on him and wrapping him in it's coils for 34 points of damage (he is grappled). Also, it manages to knock Corm to ground where he lies bleeding but attended to by one of the younger scouts. The spears of the Oomsatta are braced against this possible, and pierce the thing for 32 points of damage. Marella also gets attack of opportunity.
Of the multitude of slithering predators that infest jungles, forests, and swamps, few inspire such terror as the giant anaconda. Incredibly strong, fearless hunters, these creatures are capable of taking down and eating elephants, dinosaurs, and giants.
Marella sees her chance as the snake leaves itself open and lashes out.
She leaps at the snake, slashing it with her blades.
RH
DMG
RH
DMG
LH
DMG
LH
DMG
She could see she was doing little she needed her guns.
Tumbling away she headed to where she had dropped them.
After Marella's his, the second snake staggers forward, fails to grab Rollo, is hit by an ineffective flurry of attacks by Lyra and collapses, heaving on the ground.
(Senior Hunter) Corm is down and the Oomsatta are asking if anyone has healing (they have apparently one cure potion to stabilize him).
But yeah, now out of combat.