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As Mrs. Crinkle falls, her body deflates and returns to its grandmotherly form, drowning in the large puddle of her oversized sweater dress.
Her eyes flutter open as Elfino brings her back from the brink. "Ooo. Magic Hands. My hero!" Noting the fight still happening right beside her head, she quips: "No time for a kiss now, dearie! We've got a monster to fight!" She grabs her shield, raises it to protect herself, and hops to her feet with a spryness that belies her old age. Fortunately, her red dress is so stretched out that she's able to slip right out of it. Even more fortunately, she's still wearing her armor and a pair of granny panties under it.
The professor is clearly having a bad dream, likely not helped by the fact that people are passing through him while fighting.
Bun Bun powers up Jyllian's sword.
Elfino patches up Mrs. Crinkle.
Jyllian uses hew newly shiny weapon to hack at the creature, hitting the first time.
Mrs. Crinkle pulls herself up off the floor.
Ulrich and Featherwit position themselves on opposite sides of the pelagastr. Felicity provides a nice distraction so that Ulrich can cut the creature.
Tels does not follow Jyllian's directions precicely, but he leads the two longest-legged students into the hallway. Alec is holding a shield, and Hari a pitcher of water.
The Pelagastr continues healing itself and hitting those that seem the most threatening.
and Grab
Without her shield up, Jyllian takes the full force of the pelagastr's attack. Thud!
and Grab
Ulrich manages to get out of the way.
Round 3 - bolded may go
Pelagastr (-30 HP)
Bun Bun
Elfino (Will save)
Featherwit (fascinated)
Ulrich
Mrs. Crinkle (-8 HP, wounded 1)
Jyllian (-32 HP, magic weapon, dying 2)
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No sooner does Elfino have Mrs Crinkle and her panties back in the fight than Jyllian takes a smashing blow from the tail that knocks her out. The albino medic rushes to her side and tries to patch her up as best he can.
Not having enough time to try communicating with the students, Elfino instead ducks down and takes cover behind the footboard of the bed.
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Growling menacingly (though it's less impressive coming from a plump little granny), Mrs. Crinkle's bingo wings flap as she grabs her fallen staff and aims a hefty whack at the pelagastr before ducking back behind her shield. "Someone tell those kiddies what to do! I've got a score to settle with this piece of protean poo-dilly!"
Well, that was pathetic.
Under Bun Bun's expert guidance, and with Ulrich and Felicity to cosmically shout NOW!, the students perform the ritual. You can feel reality shifting around you, and Alec calls out, "There they... were?" The tail of the pelagastr thrashes in pain, so obviously something is happening, but the job is not done yet.
In the meantime, Elfino patches up Jyllian, and Mrs. Crinkle, Featherwit and Ulrich attack the monster. Like the others, it seems to be able to shift its sensitive bits out of the way at the last moment, but the Pathfinders stills core two hits.
Round 3 - bolded may go
Pelagastr (-43 HP)
Bun Bun
Elfino
Featherwit
Ulrich
Mrs. Crinkle (-8 HP, wounded 1)
Jyllian (-8 HP, magic weapon, unarmed, wounded 1)
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Jyllian groans and blinks as she comes to again. At least she fell on the bed... She stands up, picks up her sword, and after resetting her grip slightly, launches a (hopefully) devastating cut at the creature that laid her low.
for
"Did the kids ever get here?" she asks, lining up for another swing.
◆ Stand
◆ Rearm
◆ Strike
Jyllian gets up woozily and takes a hack at the creature. It can's fux all the injuries from that hit quickly.
The weakened creature continues to go after the biggest perceived threats.
and Grab
The pelagastr really has it in for Jyllian
and Grab
The tail wraps around Ulrich.
Felicity is hit by chaotic energy. This Will save.
Round 4 - bolded may go
Pelagastr (-59 HP)
Bun Bun
Elfino
Featherwit (Will save)
Ulrich (-8 HP, grabbed)
Mrs. Crinkle (-8 HP, wounded 1)
Jyllian (-32 HP, magic weapon, unarmed, prone, wounded 1, dying 3)
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Elfino finishes patching Jyllian and is about to do something more proactive about the Pelagastr when her smashed body falls to his feet again. "Ouch! Dat's gotta smart. I tink yer out of dis fight me girl."
He breaks out the last of the potions they picked up earlier and stuffs it down her throat.
Once again he finds himself without enough time to try communicating with the students, so once again Elfino ducks down and takes cover behind the footboard of the bed.
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Professor Bun Bun pulls out a scroll of Magic Weapon.
"Thtay back and encourage the children, Mithth Jyllian. You've taken enough of a beating for today. Miththuth Crinkle. Jyllian's thword ith currently enhanthed by my magicth. Perhapth you could uthe that to whallop that terrible beatht?"
He then encourages the children to continue with the ritual.
His attention divided he is only able to communicate "continue" to the children.
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Elfino looks at the glimmering magically enhanced bastard sword that Jyllian left behind and considers his options. He's had some training with such weapons, but its heavy clunkiness means that he cannot wield it as well as his shortbow. Still, if he did it right, he could do some serious damage to the creature, though in the process, likely meeting a fate similar to Jyllian's. What to do?
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Elfino looks at the glimmering magically enhanced bastard sword that Jyllian left behind and considers his options. He's had some training with such weapons, but its heavy clunkiness means that he cannot wield it as well as his shortbow. Still, if he did it right, he could do some serious damage to the creature, though in the process, likely meeting a fate similar to Jyllian's. What to do?
Bun Bun prepares healing and directs the students to continue the ritual. Elfino gets Jyllian back into the fight.
Featherwit shakes off the enchantment and stabs the creature once more - and once more it moves its vitals out of the direct path of the blade. Her attempt to help the students fails in frustration.
Ulrich takes a swipe at the creature and sends a message to the students. In his case, the latter was more effective.
Mrs. Crinkle takes a couple swings with her cane, not getting close to the pelagastr.
Jyllian tries to retreat menacingly, but just retreats.
The students repeat the ritual, but Alec's timing is off, and nothing seems to happen.
The monster sends a wave of chaos at Jyllian's backside, forcing a Will save.
It then squeezes Ulrich.
, basic DC 19 Fort save vs. that damage, plus a DC 22 Fort save or be affected by the same effect as Jyllian.
Round 5 - bolded may go
Pelagastr (-66 HP)
Bun Bun
Elfino
Featherwit
Ulrich (-8+ HP, grabbed, Fort save, Fort save, Will save?)
Mrs. Crinkle (-8 HP, wounded 1)
Jyllian (-11 HP, unarmed, prone, wounded 2, Will save)
magic weapon on the floor
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Featherwit makes another attempt to direct the students, but her mind seems to be more focused on trying to kill the protean before it takes down any more of her fellow Pathfinders.
"Either stick a sword in it, or help the kids!" she says aloud, as much to herself as to her companions, as her frustration increases.
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Jyllian shakes her head, hoping to reset her glare on intimidating rather than pathetic.
;
Fortunately the wave of chaos falls in her favor this time. She pulls her longbow off her back and sends an arrow at the creature who just won't freaking die.
for
Then she focuses on trying to get the children to complete this ritual pleaseandthankyou.
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"Thtay back and encourage the children, Mithth Jyllian. You've taken enough of a beating for today. Miththuth Crinkle. Jyllian's thword ith currently enhanthed by my magicth. Perhapth you could uthe that to whallop that terrible beatht?"
"Why, sure, that sword looks more useful than this ol' stick!" Mrs. Crinkle drops her staff and shield, grabs Jyllian's sword, and takes a couple of swipes at the chaos snake.
"Ooooo! I like this one! Fake snake for supper tonight! Time to make fillets!" She crows.
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Elfino, finally free of having to bring his companions back from the dead, turns his attentions onto the pesky Pelagastr posterior. Is there a weak spot that he can exploit?
"Yes!" He spots a soft area and sends an arrow into it, quickly following it up with a second less accurate shot in an effort to finish the creature off, even if it costs him a whack of its tail.
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Ulrich escapes from the chaotic magic of the pelagastr, but is still inconvenienced enough by the crushing pressure that he can't find a good angle to attack with his razor.
Elfino fires two arrows at the creature both striking it. Jyllian adds a successful bowshot of her own.
Mrs. Crinkle picks up the enchanted sword from the ground. She hacks at the monster twice and, despite the unaccustomed weight, manages to hit once. A satisfyingly deep gash opens on the pelagastr.
Bun Bun gives an inspirational lecture and slams a book into the creature magically. Featherwit also adds in a not-quite-sneaky attack.
Ulrich then directs the students to perform the ritual again. With his expert guidance, they are able to time the incantation well, and the pelagastr begins to writhe in pain. Hari mentions that the Pathfinders are reappearing, though still blurry.
Between the physical and planar assaults, the protean decides that it is time to vacate. It opens a small tear between dimensions and disappears through it. With the immediate threat gone, the Pathfidners have no problem getting the students to perform the ritual a final time, joining the phases together completely. Thandmere wakes up a few moments later, a bit groggy but otherwise in good health, and asks everyone to accompany him to the main hall.
Upon returning to the main hall, the students and Pathfinders discover that the lodge’s staff have reappeared. Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau informs you and the visiting students that she was able to observe them the whole time from the phase of reality that she was trapped in. She commends the students and party for resolving the issue and gives extra kudos to Geltra, Hari, Tels, and Vim. She gives Alec a stern look.
Thandmere abashedly explains that he had made a deal with the pelagastr to try to liven up his teaching, but realized that he had gotten more than he bargained for when reality fractured around Woodsedge Lodge.
After its magic overwhelmed him, the protean kept him unconscious so it could experience the chaos that it had caused. Thandmere senses that activating the Material Failsafe has shunted the creature back to the Maelstrom, and he doesn’t think it will be much of a problem in the future—returning to pester the Society wouldn’t be much of a new experience, after all.
After making sure everyone is safe, Armeline packs the group back off to Absalom so her staff can deal with the aftermath of the incident. The Maze of the Open Road transports everyone safely. When they arrive back at the Grand Lodge, J asks you how the mission went and asks to check the students’ assignments. J declares that the students will have a party day at the Academy, and you are invited as guests.
As a thank you gift, Thandmere pulls several signed copies of one of the Pathfinder Chronicles from his bag and presses them on you before departing for the academy. The chronicle deals with Pathfinder Society expeditions in the Five Kings Mountains. Thandmere wrote a short appendix for it.
Two days later, the Pathfinders also receive thank you gift baskets containing notes and small presents from the students.
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Once the protean is driven off and the Material Failsafe ritual completed, Featherwit heaves a sigh of relief that is somewhat comically emphasized by a dramatic shiver down both of her tiny wings. She's quick to check that her companions are safe, to thank Elfino and Bun-Bun for keeping them that way, and to thank the children for their timely help.
Back in the main hall, she echoes the Venture-Captain's praise for the students--even Alec, who she privately sees as a fellow thief in the making, who just needs a more constructive outlet for his talents and energy.
She is somewhat surprised at Thandmere's confession. As a ganzi, she and her extended family know a little about the potential for mayhem that any encounter--much less bargain--with proteans brings with it. She is somewhat mollified by the gift of the Pathfinder Chronicles volume to which Thandmere contributed, but for the remainder of the field trip, the others can hear her occasionally mutter variations on "daft old boffin" to herself in various foreign and planar languages.
Once the team is all safely back in Absalom, and the children once again out of earshot, Featherwit turns to Mrs. Crinkle and says, "I believe you expressed some interest in joining me in properly thanking Cayden for whatever luck he might have sent our way today?" She glances at Jyllian and grins slyly. "I don't think Milani should object to you joining us, if you want? They're both gods of personal freedom, after all. And I know the perfect place to swap stories of other narrow scrapes over a some quite excellent elvish wine and dwarven stout."
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Thandmere abashedly explains that he had made a deal with the pelagastr to try to liven up his teaching, but realized that he had gotten more than he bargained for when reality fractured around Woodsedge Lodge.
"Say what now? Oh honey! There are much less dangerous ways to spice up your teaching. Use props that you can drop, and fart when you bend over to get them. Easy peasy! Heehee!"
"I believe you expressed some interest in joining me in properly thanking Cayden for whatever luck he might have sent our way today?"
"Ooo, why yes! I can't wait to get good and drunk! Kiddies are sweet, but I need some bitters to wash it all down. Heehee!"
As a thank you gift, Thandmere pulls several signed copies of one of the Pathfinder Chronicles from his bag and presses them on you before departing for the academy. The chronicle deals with Pathfinder Society expeditions in the Five Kings Mountains. Thandmere wrote a short appendix for it.
Two days later, the Pathfinders also receive thank you gift baskets containing notes and small presents from the students.
Mrs. Crinkle promptly writes thoughtful thank you notes to each gift-giver. In the note to Thandmere, she includes more "excellent" ideas to liven up his teaching:
"I recommend fake teeth. Keep them in as long as you can--with a straight face, as if this is perfectly normal. You may need to practice before your first lesson.
Try putting a cushion on your chair with glue on top of it. When you sit down, it'll stick to your pants so that when you stand again, the cushion will be stuck to your tushie. You get bonus points if a funny statement is embroidered on the underside of the cushion. 'Kick me' is a good one--as long as you don't punish students for following your instructions.
Have you heard of game shows? One of my favorites involves having the contestants view the answers, then they have to guess the questions that go with them. Whoever wins gets a piece of candy! Honestly, candy bribes work wonders on students of all ages. My favorite is hard caramel. Yummy!"
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Thandmere whispers urgently to J Dacilane. Those of you with good ears may pick up "...lose her application immediately..."