Skulk & Shackles with GM Apoc

Game Master Apoc Golem

@Oduim:
You note strange tracks, not on the path, but not far from it. While you can't determine the creature that made them, you're fairly certain it isn't an animal. They look... almost humanoid, but the toes appear either disfigured, or too unusually-shaped to be from any humanoid you can think of. The tracks appear to be a few days old at least, very faint, and follow alongside the path in both directions, as if traversed regularly.

The undine points out the tracks. "Something else has been here in the last few days, but I'm not sure what it could be."

No need to mention that's similar to how a predator would stalk a prey animal on a trail. If they know, they know. If they don't, they'll probably just lose their nerve.

"Mm." She takes a look and squints. "Last time we found a mystery and figured we'd work it out in the morning, we were attacked by ghouls while we slept. Let's see what the inside of the shack looks like."

She grimaces a moment, then snarls.

"Be ready. For all we know, whatever left those tracks is nesting in there."

”Yeah, I’d rather be awake to face more ghouls than asleep. Let’s go.” Even with her boundless confidence, Estelle now waits and goes last.

Draxxie takes a few steps forwards, pike and buckler held at the ready.

"You comin'?" she calls over her shoulder with a grin.

Draxxie's 1 point of non-lethal damage should have healed now.

Whatever has been killing things seems pretty tough. Might take a couple of us with it. Oduim muses aloud, "Maybe we should just set the shack on fire. Wait by the exits and stab anything that comes out." He tries to read their faces. "What? Everything on the island has tried to kill us! This place is so bad, I'm surprised the ground hasn't tried to swallow us up!"

"...Y'know, honestly..."

She gestures toward Oduim and shrugs, as if to say "He's got a point."

Star sighs, ”We just had this argument. Have you all completely forgotten the point of this mission? Find water, find our shipmates. Both could be inside. Burn this, burn that, ugh. I’m going to have to teach Estelle a spell now to save you from your own pyromania.”

"If they're being held here, it's weird that they're not being guarded," Asami points out, "and the longer I stay on this island, the less I trust any water we could possibly bring back."

Stepping past the open gate into the stockade, the first thing Draxxie notices is the bubbling spring next to the massive willow tree. It passes under the stockade wall and down the hill in a small but swift stream.

For anyone who wants to inspect the spring:

For anyone who wants to peer through the spyglass:

know.nature DC12, skald: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

"We've got our water supply."

Draxxie peers through the eyeglass, thinking to take it as a trinket that might prove useful on ship.

"Holy f#!+ing f*~#! We found 'em! I mean, maybe, if they ain't been eaten! F@*%in' grindylows, down aways south on a rocky beach. An' one o' th' f!&!ers 'as got Sandara's hat on!"

Knowledge: Nature t: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Estelle heads over to the water and inspects the surroundings, ”Seems ok, at least up here.”

She leans over it and takes a couple deep sniffs, ”Smells safe.”

Cautiously dipping her cup into it, half expecting to be grabbed, she pulls some out and takes a small swig, ”Good enough for pirates, I’d say.”

About what time is it, and how far is the beach, time-wise?

Still untrusting of the monster who will eventually attempt to kill them, Oduim checks the spring himself.

Nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

He nods his approval of the water quality at the others from behind the tiny, possessed woman.

He jerks a thumb at the shack, "Uh, we still checkin' this thing out first?"

"No we ain't. We're goin' after Barefoot and Sandara before they get eaten. The hut can wait."

@Draxxie:
Before you even peer into the spyglass, the first thing you note is the ungodly stench of rotting meat wafting from the partially open door to the... shack? Lodge? Outhouse?... building to your north. Passing by it for the moment, you peer through the spyglass and see what you see.

----

@Asami:
It's currently mid-afternoon. It would probably take, at most, two hours of hiking to get back down the hill and around the coast to reach the spot where Draxxie spotted the grindylows, meaning you could get there well before nightfall.

----

@Everyone:
It sure would have been nice if it was as simple as just trotting off to go save your friends. Unfortunately, this island is anything but simple.

Draxxie turns to face her companions, and shouts a warning just in time. The vines choking the willow tree spring to life in two spots: one above Estelle at the pool, and one above the heads of Asami and Oduim. A thick, rubbery vine whips out at both Estelle and Asami, but thanks to Draxxie's timely warning, both targets manage to duck just under their swings.

Two small creatures emerge from the tangle of vines and branches, eyeless and hissing with sharp-toothed maws that drip with some hideous amber fluid, their appendages long and vine-like, their bumpy brown and green hides perfectly camouflaged in the tree branches.

[color=green]ROUND 1
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (15/18 hp)
Asami (20/20 hp)
Creature 1 (0 dmg)
Creature 2 (0 dmg)
Estelle (17/17 hp)
Oduim (20/20 hp)
[/color]

Just a reminder, the creatures are up in the trees, just out of reach of the party; they have reach with their attacks, hence why they could hit Asami and Estelle. Fun fact, only Draxxie came close to hitting their Stealth checks, but she missed it by 1 (hence no surprise round action). But they rolled such garbage on their surprise attacks that I figured it made more sense narratively that Draxxie saved their butts. :D

Asami cracks her knuckles to limber them up; her fingers flutter, and suddenly she's holding two knives, stepping backwards--then that knife is out of her hand, and she's holding another.

Dagger Toss: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Dagger Damage: 1d4 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

As impressive as she looked a moment ago, she maybe looks a little less, now.

Estelle ducks down to get another sip as the tendril snaps just past her exposed neck.

Oh S%*$, THAT’S how you dodge. That makes more sense.

Uh yeah. Uhm sure, of course. Happy to give a lesson.

"Hate t' say it, but I'd rather be on a ship wi' Plugg n' Scourge than stay on this stinkin' island another day!"

dungeoneering, skald: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Draxxie limbers up for another fight, angling her pike up towards the beasts in the tree, and start up a song...

"Many moons ago, in a faraway land
We met an old man with a hook for a hand
He showed us a map that lead to treasure untold
He said, "I'll give ye the map, if ye give me some gold""

Alestorm - Over the Seas

Raging song, and move up towards Asami.

Asami's blade plunks into an upper branch, the handle dropping on the creature's head. It flinches, but takes no damage as the dagger tumbles harmlessly to the ground below. With Asami now out of reach, #1 reaches out for the undine's neck instead, but doesn't quite reach down far enough.

#2 reorients itself and then deftly slams its weird, suckered appendage into Estelle's neck and grips tightly, rapidly cutting off her air supply and squeeeezing; Estelle sees her vision begin to tunnel and excruciating pain shoot up and down her spine. (Critical hit, successful grab, and constrict, for a total of 14 damage and grappled. While grappled, you cannot perform any auditory action, including Verbal spell components.)

[color=green]ROUND 1/2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (15/18 hp)
Asami (20/20 hp)
Creature 1 (0 dmg)
Creature 2 (0 dmg, grappled)
Estelle (3/17 hp, grappled)
Oduim (20/20 hp)
[/color]

Estelle, who was in a decent mood and happy to have found water, now finds herself yet again a sliver away from death. Fortunately instincts kick in and she grabs at the vine, attempting to rip it off her. Cry is already trying to help by pulling against the vine.

Cry Aid Another CMB vs Grapple: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Estelle CMB to Escape + Aid: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

She rips the vines off, flips the f~~*er a bird and…

If she 5-ft steps, will she be out of its range? If so, she does that, please move her 5-ft away and possibly closer to her allies. If not, see spoiler.

New Girl must have some f@*+in' death wish, Besmara's teeth!

Draxxie continues the song...

"For some pieces of eight the deal was done
He gave us the map, our quest had begun
We gathered our crew and set sail on the waves
And we knew we'd be rich by the end of the day"

She whips out her chakram...

Going to post actual actions after Odium - but the intention is to use missile weapons as long as the critters aren't in melee, maybe use Cause Fear if they catch someone again.

Asami tosses both daggers in her hands at the creeper-creature nearest her and draws a few more!

Flurry of Daggers: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Flurry of Daggers: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

"She's like a lucky charm," Asami snorts. "I get hit less when she's around."

@Estelle:
I put you a 5ft step away from the creature, but not toward your allies, since either square in that direction would leave you within reach of one of the creatures.

Estelle, with Cry's help, rips the thing's powerful clutches off her throat and stumbles back.

Asami's blades fly at the creature above her. It manages to deflect one of the blades with a quick swipe of its arm/tentacle/sucker/thing, but the second finds purchase, drawing blood and a weird hissing noise from the thing.

[color=green]ROUND 1/2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (15/18 hp)
Asami (20/20 hp)
Creature 1 (5 dmg)
Creature 2 (0 dmg)
Estelle (3/17 hp)
Oduim (20/20 hp)
[/color]

With no small degree of frustration, Odium futilely hurls one of his spears nearly straight up into the tree.

Spear vs 1: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Using the move action on my turn to draw a dagger since I only needed the 5-ft.

Estelle holds the little pig sticker out in front of her, though she isn’t sure it would harm a pig, much less this mean vine thingy.

Draxxie hurls her chakram...

chakram vs 1: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

confirm?: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7

"Now we're sailing over oceans and seas
With a lust for gold and the power of steel!"

I'm assuming nobody's counting as in melee then.

Actually technically even though Oduim isn't in melee with the creature, it's in melee with him, so it would still get the -4 for firing into melee. But even without the penalty, that would still not quite confirm. However:

Draxxie's chakram bounces off #1's head, leaving a deep, bloody groove across its scalp. It nearly falls out of the tree, but instead shrieks in pain and begins loping rapidly down the branch, over the wall, and out of sight. (Fleeing!)

#2, foiled by the witch, decides to change tack. It lopes through the tree branches with shocking speed until it's directly underneath Oduim, and reaches out with its gross suckered tentacle-arm. Its noodly appendage slams into the druid's throat and squeezes, pulling Oduim slightly off his feet with its unnatural strength. (9 damage and grappled.)

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (15/18 hp)
Asami (20/20 hp)
Creature 1 (15 dmg, fleeing)
Creature 2 (0 dmg, grappled)
Estelle (3/17 hp)
Oduim (11/20 hp, grappled)
[/color]

Is it me, or was Asami skipped in the initiative?

The druid tears at the ivy lashed around his throat in a desperate effort to escape.
Grapple-y Things: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

I literally can’t use roll20 on my phone. It doesn’t even open the map for me to look at. And my computer use is vastly more restricted now. And since I can’t really think of a decent action to complete, can the GM just move me to where all or most of my allies are between me and the enemy? Thanks! I’m also open for suggestions for actions if anyone has them.

Asami did act - Draxxie's actions were split between 2 posts.

@Estelle:
I moved you near the shed/building, which at least puts Oduim between you and it, though considering the heavy branch cover overhead, there isn't really an ideal place where it couldn't get to you if it made a concerted effort, without fleeing the structure entirely and leaving your comrades inside. However, for what it's worth, it appears to have given up on you for now.

As for an appropriate action, I don't really have any input to give there.

----

@Oduim:
Asami performed a flurry of daggers this round. The split between rounds 1 and 2 kind of made things confusing, but rest assured she got a turn!

Oduim rips the creature's vine-draped tentacle-limb (tentaclimb?) from his throat and frees himself from its wretched grasp.

You have your move action left. Would you like to try and move away? I'm guessing not since it would allow it an AoO but figured I'd ask.

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (15/18 hp)
Asami (20/20 hp)
Creature 1 (15 dmg, buggered off)
Creature 2 (0 dmg)
Estelle (3/17 hp)
Oduim (11/20 hp)
[/color]

Total D please. AC 15/14/11, CMD 15.

Are we in difficult terrain? If not, I guess I will take a 5' step away.

@Oduim:
You are not! Go ahead and 5ft step in whichever direction you choose.

----

As the party battles on, Asami and Draxxie both hear a noise from inside the squat building next to them. It sounds like a snap, followed by a heavy thud.

The next thing they know, an angry cloud of botflies bursts out of the shed!

They swarm around the corner for a moment as if hesitating, but then sensing warm-blooded creatures, they flood the space of both Asami and Draxxie, buzzing furiously and biting at any exposed bit of flesh they can find. The hundreds of bites all begin to bleed, as well... (2d6 ⇒ (1, 6) = 7 swarm damage to Draxxie and Asami, and both of you need to make two Fortitude saves, both DC 13. The first is against Distraction, the second is against disease.)

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (8/18 hp, bleeding)
Asami (13/20 hp, bleeding)
Creature 1 (15 dmg, buggered off)
Creature 2 (0 dmg)
Estelle (3/17 hp)
Oduim (11/20 hp)
Botfly Swarm (0 dmg)
[/color]

Fort DC 13 vs Distraction: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 5 + 1 = 16
Fort DC 13 vs Disease: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 5 + 1 = 11

Draxxie spits out flies to keep her song up...

"Over the seas, we shall ride
Searching for treasure, into the night
Over the seas, our quest has begun
And we will not stop with the dawn of the sun"

Will post actions later, have asked a couple of questions in discord.

know.nature, skald: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Wow, hot dice :o

acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 7 - 2 = 9

Draxxie legs it - away from the swarm and the strangler-monster. She leaps at the palisade in an attempt to vault it, but it's too much and she just slams against it, hampered by her armour.

Withdraw action. Failed a DC20 to vault the palisade in one go but might climb it next round maybe.

@Draxxie:
Unable to vault the palisade wall, Draxxie turns to see how her companions are doing--only to see, through the crack in the door, a desiccated corpse with a broken noose on its neck lying on the floor and scrambling to stand.

I neglected to mark it because I didn't think anyone was actually going to enter or see into the shack before he got up, but there is what appears to be another ghoul in the shack, lying prone.

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (8/18 hp, bleeding)
Asami (13/20 hp, bleeding)
Creature 1 (15 dmg, buggered off)
Creature 2 (0 dmg)
Estelle (3/17 hp)
Oduim (11/20 hp)
Botfly Swarm (0 dmg)
Arron Ivy (0 dmg, prone)
[/color]

Assuming Draxxie voices that particular concern...

"You know what would be better than this?" she asks. "Fire."

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

She growls and snarls as she swats uselessly at flies.

Okay, cool, so my options are "move to help Estelle, who is nearly KO'd, or move to help Draxxie, who is about to 1v1 a ghoul otherwise"?

Oh yeah, Draxxie does!

"Ah f*%~, another ghoul in the hut!"

Asami Bleed: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Draxxie Bleed: 1d6 ⇒ 1

The flies bite and swarm Asami. Before she can even finish saying the word 'fire,' the flies literally pour into her mouth, biting the inside of her cheeks and tongue. She coughs and spits to get them out, leaving her unable to do much this round.

On the bright side, you're disease-free! FOR NOW...

Glancing between the two nearest targets, the creature in the branches scuttles forward and reaches out its long, suckery appendage at Oduim once more. Thankfully he manages to duck out of the way before it can grab hold of his throat again!

[color=green]ROUND 2
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (7/18 hp, bleeding)
Asami (9/20 hp, bleeding, nauseated)
Creature 1 (15 dmg, buggered off)
Creature 2 (0 dmg)
Estelle (3/17 hp)
Oduim (11/20 hp)
Botfly Swarm (0 dmg)
Arron Ivy (0 dmg, prone)
[/color]

Is this the same day as the crabs? Trying to decide if Obscuring Mist is an option.

Crabs were like 2-4 hours ago in game. Just before the corn which was just before this encounter.

________________

F~&&. We gonna die. I mean, we might not. But this ain't looking good. At least say something witty before we go out.

"Our dad used to say, you gotta know when to hold em and know when to fold em. I think it was about a card game or something, but it applies here. Let's uh... get the f@*@ outta here, right?"

Well... that was something. I guess it could have been worse. Jeeze. I just want to go on the record that if we die, this is obviously all your fault.

She covers her delicate head with her hands and makes a run for the exit.

Total D, AC 15/14/11, CMD 15. Move Action. No Acro used to tumble, it slows me down too much. I want to get out of the area as much as possible.

Thank you

The undine watches in horror as things continue to get worse. "I knew we should have torched the whole thing!"

Oduim moves farther away, then launches a small piece of a thunderstorm at the arbor-loving assassin.

Storm Burst (vs Touch AC): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 Son of a crap!
NL Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Storm Burst SLA: One use of six. Five uses remain.

Asami, sensing an opportunity, runs around the corner and past the door, hiding behind it.

...well, "hiding" is a relative term, here. Mostly she's just trying to be out of sight of the flies in hopes that they'll detect the delicious feast of ghoul on their way to follow her.

"Hey, what's more attractive to a swarm of flies than dead meat?" she asks.

Well... s&#$.

Asami stumbles away from the swarm as Oduim fires up into the branches, but in his haste the bolt of static electricity smashes harmlessly into an upper branch.

Estelle tries to slip past the creature while it's occupied, but its senses are too keen for that. It whips out its freakishly long, undulating appendage, its claw-like "hand" smashing her hard enough in the face that blood splatters across the creature's flesh all the way up in the tree. Its suckered appendage latches onto her throat and crushes violently. The shock of pain sends her into unconsciousness before the lack of air can. (Hit and successful grab/constrict for a total of 12 damage. Estelle is unconscious and dying.)

Then something unexpected happens.

The swarm of botflies churns hungrily when Asami runs away. It almost goes after her, but then hesitates, as if sensing another meal nearby.

A meal, perhaps, like a viny creature covered in the blood of a fresh victim.

The botflies swarm up and surround the tree fiend, which immediately drops its prey and swipes wildly and frantically at the bugs, suffering 1d6 ⇒ 1 damage from thousands of agonizing bites and beginning to bleed profusely. It manages to not get any in its mouth like Asami did, but it is clearly both surprised and unhappy with its new lot in life.

For its part, the ghoul (?) in the building continues thrashing on the ground and doesn't stand up this turn.

Asami Bleed: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Draxxie Bleed: 1d6 ⇒ 2

OOF.

[color=green]ROUND 3
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (5/18 hp, bleeding)
Asami (3/20 hp, bleeding)
Creature 1 (15 dmg, buggered off)
Creature 2 (1 dmg, bleeding)
Estelle (-9/17 hp, unconscious and dying)
Oduim (11/20 hp)
Botfly Swarm (0 dmg)
Arron Ivy (0 dmg, prone)
[/color]

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 I'm on a roll with my friend the dice-bot, I swear

"Through treacherous seas we reached the lost isle
And over it's shores we marched for many miles
Until we discovered where the treasure did lie
With gold coins and jewels gleaming inside"

Draxxie sees she's in the clear for a second or two, and stems the bleeding with the last of her magic...

cure light wounds: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

...then attempts to scramble over the palisade.

climb, raging song, acp: 1d20 + 6 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 1 - 2 = 7

Heal: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Asami grimaces, holding the larger of her wounds shut as she moves to a better position.

She yells something furious in Minkai.

The Dicebot continues its vendetta against Draxxie's attempts to climb over the palisade. :O

Draxxie continues her furious music, healing the gushing wounds all over her, but is once again stymied by the makeshift nature of the palisade's construction, unable to find an appropriate spot to vault over.

Asami quickly binds the worst of her wounds and utters a curse into the sky.

The remaining tree-bound creature spends an entire turn swiping uselessly at the flies around it. During that time, it suffers another 1d6 ⇒ 4 damage as it bleeds profusely from its wounds.

I need a stabilization check from Estelle.

[color=green]ROUND 4 Actually Your GM is a Dingbat
Characters in BOLD may act.
Draxxie (13/18 hp)
Asami (9/20 hp)
Creature 1 (15 dmg, buggered off)
Creature 2 (5 dmg, bleeding)
Estelle (-9/17 hp, unconscious and dying)
Oduim (11/20 hp)
Botfly Swarm (0 dmg)
Arron Ivy (0 dmg, prone)
[/color]

DC 10 + Con + Song - ACTUAL Damage Below 0 due to song: 1d20 + 2 + 1 - 7 ⇒ (15) + 2 + 1 - 7 = 11

Cry may do something stupid, depending on an answer to a PM.