I'll prolly set up a neat l new thread. First week of the new schedule has been hectic
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Yup. Just ask and I'll answer. It is two different systems, if that helps. =P
I will be out of town this weekend. When I get back we'll finish up this arc and get a move on to the main land. I'll post for recruitment. What do we think about the mechanics right now, with the wounds and vigor or the armor as DR?
If you want to check with Pyre, he hasn't replied to me. Same with Kalagans players
Hey Everybody! I'm really sorry i've been off-game for so long... I'e had a lot of issues with mapping and finding time to post. Works been extremely hectic and my schedule changed so i dont' have the time I used to during the day at all. I'm hoping things will calm down for me with my new shift that I'm starting, but I'd like to check in with everybody if you want to keep going or call it. WHo wants to try to keep the game up?
A: Party will approach from the North-West
The River is wide and murky, of indiscernible depth and speed with no indication of what may lurk just below the surface. To the north the river is wider and the swamp look even less traversable.
Victor crit threat CRIT!
With the bugs dealt with, Thoyoitu scurries down to describe what he saw.
Desula's bolt shocks the Stirg to death. Thoyoitu slices at the Stirge on him
but can't get a good angle to get it without stabbing himself. The other two stirge fly in adn attack
Kal slashes at the Stirge
Thoyoitu and voctor bth Take 1 point of CON damage Ok, Everybody is up again!
Taking weekends off is not unreasonable. But I haven't seen Victor or thoy this week, or heard about them going offline for a while. I'm going to PM them and see what to do next... Didne want to/have time to bot them yet. Long weekend of working =/
Tzardusk's power moves Kal, in a flash, leaving the Stirge alone and confused.
What are people waiting on right now? The party is up, and only desula has posted. Tho is in the tree, two stirge are out of reach, but one is on tho, and one on kalagan
Yes, I'm rolling init for efficiency sake. The slow surf are up in the air about 40 ft high up, and you have to make some kind of attack to deal with a Stirge. It's not just an action to remove. That said, Victor holds very still as Pyre slices the Stirge latched to the Ratkin messily in two!
Thoyoitu, You find yourself 30 ft up a tree looking over the low canopy, with 5 creatures emerging from the trees about 10 ft above you. Desula and Victor both know about these creatures, Strige. Wretched blood-drinkers attach tightly to its targets with a voracious tenacity, draining their victim till the creature is glutted on warm blood. Init:
Initiative
Stirge Three of the Stirge get moving and separate, one going for the Tengu, the others attacking Kalagan and Victor, charging down from the air in an arial divebomb!
The creatures dart down at their victims and attach to them, dealing 1 Con damage.
All of the rest of the party is up!
Thoyoitu is able to make out the path the log sems to have been dragged, heading off to the Southwest. To the southEAST appears to be a few light plooms of smoke wafting up into the sky and signs of clearings that may likely proe to be the enemy camps and compounds. What he also hears is a buzzing flapping sound as what appears to be enormous mosquitoes [ooc]Tiny size which makes for a very large bug starts to rise from the tree he has climbed!
I wasn't able to get the area map made today, and i'm not home tomorrow so map up friday evening
The bogstriders stop short at the edge of a particularly nasty bit odd swamp, and are able to convey to Thoyoitu that this is as far as they go. This is the raiders wrapper now. As you press on, you see a hole in the canopy as though a tall tree fell and smashed through the branches. Through the opening, you see several such trees that could be used to get a better vantage point. There is also a trail, of sorts leading in the other direction that is likely the way the felled tree was dragged.
Hey, got back into town lasted last night. I'll update the thread in a bit, this morning
For one thing, Kalagan won't be a paladin anymore. Undead do have an instinctual urge to kill. . . everything? Always chaotic evil may not be the case but all necromancers you'd have heard of keep a tight hold o on their minions and legends often involve the undead breaking free to slaughter their former master or whoever else is around. Half the planet is preeminently covered in darkness. There are surface dwelling drow there that are less unequivocally Evil.
This vile creature, covered in putred slime is even more revolting on the inside, the open wounds appear to be festering and rotten even though they are fresh. Little wriggling worms crawl out of the creature. The Bogstriders take a few moments to make sure all the larva latched to the creature's back are dispatched as well. It looks to be a little over an hour before the pre-dawn light in on the western side of the world is actually bright enough to use to travel, and the party is able to finish resting.
Victor finds that the slime of the creature has a potentially interesting reaction and will make a valuable alchemical component for crafting any number of items.
Thoyoitu slips up as the creature is about to take another swing and stabs the beast
Crit goes through
The two Bogstriders reappear at the doors, as though they slipped out the back of the shelter through a secret opening. They drag the creature out of their shelter, awaiting your next action. You all can finish your rest and prep spells and move out. You are back at full vitality and are only short the spells you used in THIS fight.
Victor diseases and loads up his crossbow The beast flies into a violent fury, it's body bulging and it lashes out wickedly
Tentacles go crashing into both Kaligan and Thoyoitu, hitting hard.
THen it shifts toward the softer targets.
Messing with undead is dangerous, and mostly the purview of the mad and evil. Goods of the dead are scary in most all cultures. You'd get sideways looks, at least
no worries, Tho. ALso I checked you sheet, and you didn't account for the +1 from the Masterwork Shortsword, so you still hit and the bonus/penalty from Piranah strike takes care of the sickened Damage penalty. EoTD, you're good. I'd like Peeps to play Kal and Pyre. I'm fine with botting them, but if you want to play them and get tactical, that'd be rad
Here's the map
Kaligan steps up and strikes
The creature slaps the fighters on it's case and moves to C:6
and the slimy tentacle deals minimal damage to the Halforc, but he takes it right in the face and is Nausiated and spits out the mucus that got in his mouth Xp Map tonight. All Players are up. Does anyone want to volunteer to post for Kaligan and Pyre for this combat?
was going to bot players and advance the round today, but had to help a friend move. I'll do so tomorrow tho.
Thoyoitu sticks the abomination right in the squishy bits while the others shots swing wide.
Kalagan steps up and takes a Swing at the creature
The Beastie dislikes this situation and slams the two creatures that hit it!
Pyre nearly retches but he moves up to the Tenticle-monster to provide a flank for Thoyoitu.
Pyre steps from C7 to B6 and attacks with the Flank, calling out Get it in the back of it's. . . babies?
Pyre Swings wide, but hopefully gives Tho the advantage he needs to stick the monstrosity. Desula, you are now within 10 ft of the creature and a wave of putrefaction hits you. DC: 14 fort save or be sickened
Sorry peeps, never made or home today, so map after my weekend job tomorrow (Saturday)
Upon approaching the writhing mess on tentacles, the revolting stench or rot, death and other bazaar and vile odors hits Thoyoitu like a ogrefist. DC :14 fort save or be sickened. Kalagan looks out the door, rising and attunes his sight to the alignment of the creature, sending no evil before him. Pyre moves to C:17 and readies an action, in case Tho CAN negotiate with the creature.
It looks at the bird and lizard with unreadable eyes as it moves to C:6 In a flash the battle begins, it lashes out but Pyre is ready and makes the first slash
Massive and muscular tentacles lash out viciously
But the wound pyre dealt throws it attacks off, causing it to miss Tho, but he takes the brunt of the attack. Rest of the party is up. Will post a map tonight after work.
Please give coordinates in the green square where you start
I'll wait till tomorrow night and then bot actions
Tzardusk does not know What this creature is, but you know to fear it. You didn't think this kind of thing was real, but rather a made up monster for children's stories you thought you outgrew years ago...There are tales of hunters in the swamps that move through bog and over roots with almost the ease you walk over land, able to hide its presence almost completely. They steal bad children, or punish those who seek to flee justice, etc. This creature is Gulglagth, the king or written off the horrors in the night, the great day one that feeds its victims to it's babies and rules as god of the frogmen, and commands the lesser monsters and creepie-crawlies The larva is attached and will teleport in this case. It takes a full round action to remove a larva.
GM rolls:
Initiative During Desula's watch, in the early dawn hours, he sees suspicious movement. Before he has a chance to react, a horror rises up from the muck. A long tentacle reaches for from the peat, followed by a second then a third. Approaching the safe-house is a vile creature reeking of death and rot. Viscous slime drips from it's eight writhing tentacles, and warts and protrusions stick out from it's twisted form. It glares at you with glowing alien eyes piercing the darkness. As the monstrosity shambles closer it reaches back to pull a dripping pustule off it's back. The white shape wriggles, writhes, and drips scum as the thing hurls it at the Drow. v flat-footed AC.
The rest of the party is roused by Desula's cry. It is move actions to get up and to draw weapons and gear you wouldn't be wearing. You can all be wearing Studded Leather or lower rated armor for sleep if you choose.
Area Description: The Safe-house is a 20'x15' space with a medium sized door, bedrolls are on a moss-covered floor. Desula is standing in a 5' alcove on the outside by the door that provides cover. The creature is 20' from the door. And the light is Dim, so 20% miss chance to those without lowlight vision or better.
Kalagan, go ahead and post. I'll roll perception for everybody and do some rolls in a bit for the night watch. =]
The moving thing is not seen again. Perhaps it was not interested in the party, at least you hope that's the case. The Bogstriders guide you through the swamp, and the going is significantly less miserable thanks to their assistance. You make good time, and by the end of the day as the shadows thicken you reach... nothing in particular. . . The Striders point to a thick area of marsh-grass and inside you find a relatively spacious shack that could easily fit twice your number. What do you want to do for setting watch?
Thoyoitu does notice the moving . . . something . . . under the dirt, but doesn't see it again, and doesn't see any traps or watchers on the way.
Thoyoitu, go ahead and roll 3 perception checks for me, please. The party gathers their gear and sets out! As Tzardusk looks across the swamps, he notices what appears to be solid ground ripple as the party passes. Thick peat-moss covers thick mud that looks like solid ground but would suck anyone steeping into it down. Whatever is moving through the muck looks like a snake slithering and swimming, submerging and rising. Watching, tho, It appears that there are more than one serpent and the movement is unlike anything the halforc has seen before, oscilating and writhing, nearly surfacing only to disappear into the sludge and arise elsewhere, the ground looking like it is breathing. As quickly as it began the moment stops.
The woman shivers at the thought of the Other Things, finally showing fear. Creatures, Don't know what, but it moved under the surface like nothing that i've ever seen
Two Bogstriders stand at the gates to join the party as guides.
I don't know about their numbers, exactly... They gather in mass when they raid, but then they split up into smaller groups of 3 to 6, them, the Goblins, and other... Things... Live in those swamps and big groups are hard to support. I never seen no leader, but there's got to be someone that commands their raids and cows their goblins she notes. the markers are stakes tied with vines, so when they pull em, all the stakes come up, and the holes fill in real quick. If you got a good eye and are taking a good look, you can see them. There's also plenty of traps too, mostly pits and sinkholes they hide.
The prisoners look at each other briefly, one appraising Desula replies in the unfamiliar dialect of the Kahn We were, each of us, taken by raiders at one point or another, locked in pens. The Striders attack the Skum in their lands when the rains come and they can run across the floodwaters. Their mud huts wash away in the lowlands but they make do, forcing people like us to rebuild for them. They keep their cages suspended so their slaves don't get washed away if there is a sudden flood and they kept us bound so we couldn't flee. But ropes and vine only, easy enough to chew through, She informs you, giving you a grin showing a maw of teeth filed to points. Place is just a bog, hidden paths and pits all over, change all the time. Skum mark out paths for us to walk, but can pull stakes easy in case someone shows up on their turf. What's it to you and yours? she asks. SHe appears to be blocking some of the other prisoners swill cowering, but this woman is a warrior who may be able to give soe decent tactical information.
I do not know about sympathizing with the skum, but we have enslaved some of their prisoners. Them you may attempt to speak to, but they are not good for much, the queen says, tapping her fore-leg in the water. I would rather you not damage them further, so no acid will be needed. They will follow orders such as they can, and you may learn what little they know When you are ready a guard will escort you to a group of ragged looking humanoids, all at least some portion human that are huddeled together, bound and guarded by other Bog-striders. their eyes are wide with fear, having been dragged from their tasks for some unknown reason, and they are unsure what your strange group's presence could mean for them.
I can send one of my soldiers to take you through the swamps to their territory. Our sentries will find you if you escape alive and will return you us if you manage to acquire the standard. There are many dangers in the waters, but our kind can detect movement at significant enough distance to prevent ambush and often time enough to avoid an encounter altogether. the queen assures you. As for supplies, we are not in a position to give anything away. Our foraging parties have yet to return but you seem well enough equipped. The way is not easy for your kind, even with guides and the hour is growing late. You may take refuge here, or make begin your journey now. There are cashes and hiding places our scouts and raiders use in the direction you are headed so sheltering should not be a significant challenge regardless
the queen looks askance at Desula as he giggles, but then turns to Tzardusk. It is a pole with a gilded Kobold skull on it. The Kobolds of the cave have a pole with one of our kind's skull as well, marking the last deaths in our blood-feud. It's theft shames us and insults the sacrafice of the wyrmling that died for the peace. Yet the lands in the skum's terratory are not lands we are well-suited to travel. Not enough water... the queen says. beware the Kobold of the Cave tho, bot if they see you with the skull, they may nto give you time to explain your intentions with it, and they can be vicious and clever little creatures.
Thoyoitu waiting outside the area, the others are ushered into the camp. Unarmed, they are taken before another Bogstrider adorned in ceremonial armor wearing heavily rune covered bone bracers and wearing finery of malachite and quartzite and other pretty rocks. Before Desula has a chance to explain your situation to the creature and guards it speaks in a strange female voice, in the common humanoid tongue. "I care not for your kin and kind. You orc raid out territory, killing my children and taking out prey and game. We are able to face these vile skum easily, they are slow and stupid, and must come to out lands to take out people where we have advantage. My warriors tear their kind asunder. they have no need of my children, they can only breed with you Half-human creatures, and out meat is not appetizing to them. But they have taken something precious to my people. A symbol of peace and I will have it returned. For this is will make use of you orc-ling and strange creature-friends She seems to be aware at least of what has been told the other striders, likely communicated. You will do this for me
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