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I haven't gotten any more encounters planned out - all that is left of this little filler episode is if you want to take a last look around the oasis. I hope you had fun - I've quite enjoyed being on the other side of the screen for a short while. If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it!
The party makes their way down the caves, a bit battered from the encounter with the elemental. The cool of the cavern once more embraces you and sunlight fades once more as you descends into the bowels of Akiton. Bazzle's spell lights the way for the first few minutes, then the lantern took over. You resume you wait once more, at the same spot as before. The second hour of storm passes easier then the first. It is always easier to wait when you have the end in sight. The beasts are calm and doesn't bother you this time. Soon you once more emerge onto the surface, the storm having subsided. Looking around you, the storm left surprisingly little damage in its wake. A few of the strange but now familiar thorn-brushes have been broken and cast aside, but most of the hardy undergrowth seemed to have managed just fine. The weird tree at the centre of the oasis seems to have lost a single branch. The pile of refuse and skeletons seems to have suffered the worst damage, with bones scattered over a wide area - quite the macabre scene!
Henricks volley of arrows traces a line of blue light straight into the heart of the vortex. With an audible sigh the wind dissipates and the elemental breaks apart into small clouds of vapour, which soon too fades from sight. For one short, curious moment Amalgus and his drone hangs motionless in the sky. Then gravity reassesses its hold and they start to fall down - luckily Leila stands ready with her Feather Fall spell and they land safely.
Not soon after, the last of the dust settles and the scene turns calm once more. The real storm rages on, but it still a few minutes away. Leila removes the scarf from her face and looks around. "Whew... Talk about hostile weather! Are you guys okay?" She murmurs a quick spell to mend the worst of her wounds. Then she lifts her gloving sling and smiles. "Pretty nifty! Will it last long enough or shall I reignite the lantern?"
The unstable vortex of wind sways, seemingly uncertain of what to do, where to go. The elemental hadn't been in such a tight spot for a long time. Blinded and battered, but not beaten. With a feral roar, it went for one final gambit. Escape into the one safe place - the one that felt like home - and use it against the puny fleshlings! The whirlstorm intensified and ascended into the sky, carrying Amalgus and his drones with him into the air. Auran:
"Destroy me and your puny comrades shall feel how welcoming earth truly is!"
The shattered remains of two of Amalgus drones were expelled and rained down over the area, before the eerie blue light once again arrived and the pieces disappeared.
Leila retrieves her sling and sends a bullet flying straight up towards the elemental, but it doesn't manage to get trough the winds. "Shoot it before it runs away! I'll catch them!" she calls out to her companions.
The elemental cries out in pain and the tornado almost stumbles to the side, but manages to stabilize itself - it looks to be weakening, but not slain yet!
Space so that the shape doesnt get disrupted by the avatar portraits! This is an all post btw :) .
... __________________________
The ________________________ is the ground, the triangle is the elemental in its tornado shape. The 0OOOOOOO0 represents the cloud and Y & X are you. (picture isn't really to scale, the tornado should be thinner at the top (60' high, 30' across at the top!)). The "...." is there to provide spacing since the message boards have silly formatting :) The cloud has a radii of 15' from the bottom of the tornado/air elemental which occupies a single 5' square. You are currently in the square 6-10' away from the base of the elemental. 30' should be plenty if you decide to step away into the 11-15 square which allows you to see out of the cloud. Or you could step towards the elemental, into the 1-5' square and be adjacent. It cannot make AoOs but you will have to deal with concealment (but melee will work!). You could also take a move action to move out of the cloud - since Concentration checks are required when casting within - but you should still be within 30' to shoot an un-obscured part of the elemental : ) @Henrick - You need to make two saves to be carried away, just remember that you can still act : ) Edit: TL:DR yes, 30' is enough to assault the elemental : ) Also, whomever decided that the layout and font of the text should alter substantially between typing and posts ...
Amalgus too steps back and gestures towards the raging elemental and three canine drones spring forth from eerie blue motes of light. Two appear in front, preventing the elemental to advance further along ground level while the last materializes behind, lunging at the elementals "heels".
One of the drones manages to sink its teeth into the creature, but bites only smoke and air.
The huge elemental looms over the party and surges upward, spinning as it does. The quick, frantic dance lasts a mere second and then its terrible purpose is revealed - the Elemental is gone, and in its place a 60' high whirlwind zips forth! From deep within, you hear a sound that can only be vicious laughter. Auran:
"Puny mortals! FEEL THE WRATH OF THE WINDS! " It whips up a choking cloud of red dust, an unpleasant reminder of the real storm raging mere minutes away. The Elemental surges forward, seeking to engulf the entire party within its roaring insides. It quickly sweeps over Amalgus drones before heading into the backlines. The poor drones disappears up into the stream of air, as does their master. Leila acquires a series of new bruises and cuts. The wind scatter her the blood from her bleeding nose all over the area and her dress is torn, but she manages to stay on the ground trough a mixture of luck and quickness. Reflex Save, DC 21 @All (remember good hope for +2! and Kirin Style for another +2 for Henrick):
You were not quick enough to outrun air itself! The powerful winds batter you and searing sand assails your, slashing you skin and tearing your clothes.
The elemental laughs with glee as you feel yourself being lifted off the ground, into the deadly vortex!
Lacking the means to escape the vortex Amalgus calmly extends his magic outwards to his allies, trusting them to end the elemental quickly and efficiently. The party feels some of the air diverting around them and instead of harming them it aids them and loans them some of its speed. The elemental hisses out in annoyance.
@Amalgus:
I took the liberty of Botting you this round as well, since I felt the party might need some buffs right away - should you pass by before round 2 is resolved, feel free to post and change your actions if you want : ) From within, his drones claw and strike at the elemental but fails to stabilize long enough to manage a solid strike.
The halfling quickly wrapped her scarf tightly around her head and made her way out of the cloud, invigorated by Amalgus magic. Her legs quickly carry her to the mouth of the cave before she swirls around, looking up at the whirlstorm that caught her friends. Whoa! That thing is huge! I better do something, quick! Ignoring her aching and sore skin, she reached into her pouch and retrieved some of her magical dust. With a swift incantation she sent it into the air, hoping to atleast distract the creature! Aim high, and Amalgus will be save! she thought to herself as she completed the spell.
The magic took a strong hold over the elemental, and with a silent explosion the entire whirlwind started to glitter and glow. Confused grunting escaped it and the moments became erratic - as if it lost all sense of direction!
@Henrick: The elementals current AC should be 10. Good luck ^^ :P
I'm sorry for the delay - I'm visiting my parents and folk over the weekend and I'll be back home by Wednesday, at which point I'll move this along : )
A pair of Henricks arrows strikes a glancing blow! Curiously, the arrows seems to slow down to a crawl as they enter the airspace within the elemental proper, but its howling leaves no doubt to whenever it got hurt or not. At last, the projectiles come to an halt, suspended within the elemental some ten feet above ground. Auran: *Pained/enraged grunts, no words*
Seeing her companions arrows veering of course, Leila quickly adds another helpful spell. Glittering runes pull the last of Henricks arrows back on course and it strikes the elemental!
Amalgus:
The rays of the sun are especially welcome for you, pulling your systems out of power saving mode and into full alert!
Henrick + anyone else making the DC 22 Know(planes) check:
Despite their appearance, Air Elementals do have mass - and more importantly, volume (). However they are skilled at consorting and flexing their body - so this given elemental might certainly be able to force itself into the tunnel ().
Leila follows Bazzles pointed finger, but before she gets a chance to act on his advice the elemental surges forward and descends upon the party like a gale of storm. The dust swirls in its wake and as it approaches, it hisses and curses in its foreign tongue. While few of you understands - all get the message. Its tone bites as harsh as a bitter winter wind and it certainly means to take out its fury on all mortals it comes across! Auran:
Yesss - paiiint thhhe saaand withhh yooour mooortalll bloood!"
It reaches the party faster then any mortal creature could and slams out with a fist of solid air, striking Leila. The halfling batters about, the wind tearing in her clothes and her hair - blood spraying from her nose. "Aow!" she cries out. The elemental laughs as the droplets of blood are propelled upwards and around by its own winds. Bruised, but not beaten, Leila takes a step back and conjures up a spell - empowering her allies with warmth and hope. Everyone can feel power surging in their veins and their spirits soar.
The party starts their ascent towards the surface without a hitch. Bazzle keeps a watchful gaze over the beasts, but they show no signs of following. Soon enough you see the end of the tunnel - and daylight! After spending such a long time in the dim illumination of cantrips and lanterns, the brightness of the sun is almost too much for the eyes. Still, there is no sign of the storm visible from inside the tunnel so the party decides to head outside, into the light. Stepping into the suns rays is a pleasant experience - their comfortable warmth soon banishes the chill of the caverns. But you all know - soon the light will feel harsh again and the cold will be missed - so you savour the sweet moment. Looking around you, the ground is covered by a thin layer of fine sand - remnants of the storm. The local fauna seems to have weathered the elements just fine - the under-brush appears mostly unharmed and the strange three has only one broken branch. However, now is not the time to botanize. While the sky above you is calm, further in the distance you can see a raging wall of red-brown clouds, reaching all the way from the ground into the heavens above! The wall seems to surround you on all sides, in a circular pattern. Luckily, the tube of still air is quite large and it appears that the wall will not hit you for another minute or two. Of more concern is the thirty foot cloud that just appeared over the wall of the oasis. The hostile mote of sky glares at you with a pair of small, red eyes. Even more bothersome - it swiftly reshapes into a vaguely humanoid shape, with the enormous arms are not looking to hug you! It howls sending the fine layer of sand flying in every direction and charges. Auran:
"Fooolish fleeeeeeeeshlings! I'llll enjoyyy riiipping yooou appaaart!"
Know(Geography) DC 12:
The walls of clouds surrounding you and the stillness within tells you that you appear to be in the eye of the storm. The eye is in the dead centre of a given storm, around which the storm rotates. This stillness can lull people into a false sense of security, causing them to leave their shelter early. Luckily, a sandstorm is not subtle and as such the phenomenon should pose no threat as one can clearly see where the storm starts again. The wind-walls are about 4 minutes for your position. Unless the storm changes direction or speed, it is then going to rage for another hour before it has completely passed over your position.
What that other thing attacking you is - is a question for another disciple. But it is clearly not natural! Know(Planes) DC 17:
The creature is an Air Elemental - and a Huge one too! Air Elementals generally inhabit the plane of Air but are frequently summoned to the material plane to do the dirty work of wizards and others with a mastery of conjuring. The creatures are foul tempered and highly territorial, with an inherent dislike for all the creatures of the Prime Material Plane (no doubt the constant summons isn't helping!).
Air Elementals of this size is swift as the wind and display complete mastery over aerial combat (). They are swift and nimble in combat too, slamming their foes with accurate buffets of air (). In a similar vein, they rely on their dexterity and speed for defence as well (). Since it is made out of air, it takes significant effort to disrupt its shape (). Air Elementals are obviously a member of the Elemental order of Outsiders, primeval incantations of the elements themselves () Know(Planes) DC 22:
Air Elementals, when set loose upon the mortal world, prefer to seek out places that emulate their natural home since they lack any innate magical powers to return (). Such locations might be a high mountain peek, high above a raging ocean - or in this case - following a storm while it lasts.
They are known to transform into whirlwinds on occasion, carrying away any creature smaller then itself while simultaneously trapping them. (). While they might appear as little more then enraged animals, they are in fact sentient and can communicate in Auran - the language of the wind. However, they are not known to be talkative. Magic that targets their reflexes is doomed to fail, and their fortitude is on par thanks to their vast size. Their magical weak spot is spells targeting their minds. Know(Planes) DC 27: Your wast knowledge on the subject of extra-planar creatures allow you to accurately estimate the combat effectiveness of this creature.
Leila nods at Bazzles suggestion, having a distinct desire to not be eaten by some alien. She quickly collects her things and follows the other up towards daylight.
Did I accidentally end the game ? We are not in the clear yet ... : )
No worries : ) I find myself doing the same prioritization myself, setting up goals and deadlines for this game and then breaking them just as quickly. I guess I just try to drag this along as slowly as possible Thanks for the kind words : )
After a few tense minutes the beast shrugs and returns to its resting spot across the water hole. The quiet conversation in the camp momentarily increase in volume but soon dies down again. There was surprisingly little of excitement or interest to speak about in the cavern, and no-one felt like sharing personal anecdotes with the threat of the beasts looming over their heads. And lo, soon the only sound to be heard was once more the faint howling of the wind. Twenty more minutes pass and Amalgus begins to feel his systems hitting power saving mode, cutting down on maintenance and limiting power output. Leilas lantern are starting to burn the last of its oil and the halfling refills it with another bottle from her backpack, still uncharacteristic silent. Another thirty minutes and so passes, and the most peculiar feeling overcomes the party. Something has changed - something is missing. They look around in the cavern, but nothing appears to have shifted. The beasts are still resting peacefully. The water of the oasis spring is still crystal clear. And the walls still there. Still, the feeling remains. The silence turns oppressive as the party looks around - trying to put their finger on the change ... The silence! The droning of the wind was gone !
"Lets hope so ..." Leila retreats further beneath her blanket.
"Good, good ..." Leila curls into a ball underneath her warm blanket. She throws another look at the closest beast and continues. "You think that one will go away anytime soon ? I mean, it doesn't look like it's going to lunge at us - but still ..."
I've noticed when Amalgus was gone that the amount of interactions and inter-party talk drops very low with only two active members, so I'm going to hold off advancing the plot/time until you get back. There isn't really much left of what I planned/imagined anyway : ) I'm of course going to check in, so if anyone does or want to try anything during this first hour of the storm - feel free : )
"Eh?" Leila looks up from her book. It seems as if she managed to get trough a whole pair of pages since she started! "Watches might be good. And I wasn' planning on -" She glances towards the water hole, finally noticing that one of the beasts moved up. She is quiet for a few moments as she meets the beasts eyes. "Woah! Yeah - watches will definitely be good to have! I could take first watch - I'm not getting far in this book anyway without my magic... An hour long? You said this storm wouldn't last more then a few - right ?" She turns to Amalgus, but still seems to be keeping watch on the monster from the corner of her eye. "We easily bored Golarians are holding up decently. How are you doing?"
Super secret dice rolls, don't look :P:
You quickly settle down in your end of the cavern. Lelia shares her meal of dried Golarian supplies but after the dry jerky and hard bread is consumed, there is precious little to do. The halfling unpacks her flute, but after short contemplation she sighs and puts it away again. Instead she withdraws one of her books and start her attempt to decipher it. Except written joys or the occasional game of cards (if someone brought such a toy along!) there is little to do but wait. After only a few minutes, those sitting down feel the last of the heat being drawn away by the cool, damp earth. Those standing or even restlessly pacing maintains their warmth easier, but even them soon starts to feel chilly. Blankets and winter clothing is soon brought forth - for without the sun to warm them, Akiton is not a warm nor welcoming place. After what feels like an quiet eternity, you finally hear the faint howling of wind. The storm has arrived! Opposite the lake, one of the beast stirs in response. It slowly brings itself up and walks over towards the lake, but stops several feet short. It does enter the brighter part of the lighting, allowing everyone a good look at it. It yawns and extends its muscular tongue into the water, curling it into a large fleshy straw from which it drinks the clear water. Thus the sound of slurping is added to the howling of wind and suddenly the cavern is no longer oppressive in its quietness. Soon the monster finishes its drink and looks up at the party, studying it with its enormous eyes - probably trying to make sense of the miss-matching lot of weird critters. Perception DC 10:
When it went for a drink, the clawed feet of the beast seemed to sink slightly into the ground. It would appear as if the ground was unstable/exceptionally soft close to the water hole (~5' around it).
Sense Motive DC 12:
The beast is not looking to eat you. Not now, not yet. But what the future holds - no-one knows!
Leila peers into the darkness at the shapes. "But I was going to ride the dirt slide into the pool ...!" she pouts momentarily, then laughs quietly. "But I guess I can resist, for the sake of not being eaten ... Say! Speaking of eating - I've got some trail rations in my bag. I would unwrap and prepare the leftover Jacktalope... But that might remind those buggers about food." Softly whistling, the halfling gets to work creating a meagre meal out of their rations.
Amalgus drones quickly sweep the cavern you are in. It is, as you suspected, quite large. From your end to the other wall it is about 120'. The cavern is vaguely ellipsoid in shape, with the other diameter being about 90'. At your end, the end with the multiple entrances, the walls are marred with clawmarks and uneven signs of digging. Deeper inside the walls appear less damaged and more naturally formed. A bit of centre, the lake sits with its crystal clear water. It seems as if the creatures you encountered earlier did indeed dig their way down here, into the natural cavern with the water. Like the walls, the floor is mostly rock and dirt. It has a gentle slope, with the lake being the lowest point. If you are too careless or reckless, you might risk slipping on the wet, cool earth and slide all the way into the water! (Leila is contemplating just that - it looks fun! Sadly she is the one holding the lantern ...) The air is moist and damp and the only light that makes it down so far below the earth is the one you brought. Don't loose it! Alas! It would seem as if Bazzles guess was correct - there was indeed four holes. And you slew two creatures. Another pair seems to be down here with you. The creatures rests on the opposite end of the water hole, eyeing Amalgus drones lazily. One is noticeably larger then the ones you previously encountered. Luckily, the creatures seem to harbour no resentment towards you and are currently content to merely watch and observe these strange visitors. The larger one yawns, revealing an even more fearsome set of teeth then his kin.
Amalgus drones take point, each accompanied by one of Leilas Dancing Light. The party follows thirty feet behind, their way enlightened by the halflings lantern. The path twists and turns, lower and lower into the depths - never straight for more then 15-20'. The air is cool and damp, as would be expected. The change of atmosphere is certainly welcome, but after a few minutes you almost misses the warmth of the sun. After several minutes of of downwards travel, the tunnel widens. It exits into a larger cavern. For once, Leilas lantern is not enough to illuminate the opposing wall. To your left and right, you see in total three other tunnels. In front of you, about forty feet away, is a pool of perfectly still crystal water. The opposite shore of the lake is only dimly illuminated, but you can make out a pair of shapes. The pair is seemingly resting ten, fifteen feet away from the shore. Survival, DC 10:
You manage to keep track of your direction of travel, despite all the twisting and turning. And you are fairly certain the lake is in the dead centre of the oasis. Know (Geography) DC 21 :
One thing occurs to you ... If this is a crater, and that lake is at the centre of that crater ... Perhaps a shard of the original meteorite remains at the bottom of the lake ? Perception DC 15:
The shapes is another pair of the same creature you already encountered. However, one seems far larger then those you slain. As far as you can tell, they are making no move to attack you.
Leila digs around a bit in her backpack and produces an Bull's Eye lantern, complete with oil and all. With a smile she lights it up and shines the beam down one of the holes. For good measure she also conjures up her Dancing Lights. "Now, whom want to go first? Amalgus, Henricks plan sounds good - if your are willing!"
The decent into the oasis proper is surprisingly easy - the path you find currently lies in shadow and the rocks are pleasantly cool to touch. As soon as you set foot on the oasis you make another welcome discovery. The soil here is much softer then the hard and arid ground you spent the first half of the day traversing. No doubt another sign of water. You find a path that seems to be leading towards the burrows, filled with footsteps and claw marks matching those of the beasts. Leila and Bazzle have some trouble seeing over the low walls of vegetation, but the bounding steps suited to Akitons gravity afforded them sufficient overview of the area. Henrick and Amalgus suffered no such problems. After several minutes of brisk walk the finally reaches the large burrows. There are four holes in the ground, all in all, and they are between 7 and 12 feet in diameter. As such, all but the smallest one allow all party-members to traverse them without problem. Surely, these artificial dens would afford considerable protection against the elements. Looking down into them, you can hear faint moments down there. But the tunnels are pitch black, twisting and snaking their way down into the earth. This limits your ability to pinpoint the source of the sounds with either your eyes or ears. Know(engineering) DC 12:
The tunnels appears solid. It is extremely unlikely they would collapse or cave-in by a simple sandstorm. Perception DC 30:
Despite the harsh odds, you manage to sort out the sounds. There appears to be a pair of creatures down there.
Henrick and Amalgus easily reach the top of the wall, and with the rope safely attached - so does Bazzle and Leila. The party keeps a quick pace and Henrick estimates they have plenty of time to find shelter before the storm strikes. Your vantage point high upon the wall affords you a great view of the oasis interior - and it seems like that word fits perfectly. Beneath your feet, behind the wall, lush Akitonian plants cover the entire basin. The ferns and cacti and tanglebushes are larger and more vibrant then even those just outside the wall. For the first time since you started the trek, you can even detect the faint aroma of flowers! The are three features of note in the basin. A series of burrows in the other end of the oasis - no doubt the homes of those creatures you just fought. There is a pile of bones and refuse not far to the west of you. It appear to be mostly Jacktalope skeletons, but also other, larger skeletons you fail to identify from the distance. Lastly - and perhaps most fascinating - is the small three growing almost in the dead centre of the oasis. It appears to have several yellow fruits hanging from its branches, along with its reddish leaves. The three itself is only 15-20' tall. Another curious thing is the walls themselves. While they appeared jagged and uneven from the outside, now you can see that they form a nearly perfect circle around the oasis. It is approximatively 300' in diameter. If you were to hurdle against the interior of the walls, they would afford some protection against the elements. You can also see several paths down into the interior proper, so getting down is not a problem. Know(Geography) DC 15:
The circular shape suggests that this is actually an old impact crater. Judging by its size, you would say it was originally about 40-50' deep. Nowadays, it appears to be filled with fresh soil - but the reservoir of water (if present) would almost certainly be found at that depth.
"Rope?" the halfling looks confused for a moment before exclaiming "Rope!!" and sits down and starts sifting trough her pack. "I know I packed some somewhere here!" After a surprisingly short shuffle she triumphantly starts pulling a long length of rope out of the backpack. She gives Henrick one end and continues to produce more rope. "Here. It should be fifty feet all in all, but I don't think you will need ALL of it!"
The party makes good pace across the last hundred feet of flat, dry plains before the wall of rocks mark the 'oasis'. The sun is still scorching the landscape, and the rocks are far to hot to comfortably touch. Still, certain angled specimen provide welcome shade. Sadly, most of the shaded soil was already occupied by the typical Akitoninan thornbush and cacti, trading one discomfort for another. To get further into the 'oasis', one would either have to search for a way up between the rocks or try climbing. Dark clouds are now covering the entire horizon, obscuring the Asok city from view.
The tiny halfling dashes ahead of the others and races the last few feet towards the wall of rocks. Laughting she calls out and reaches out to tag the wall with her hand. "Hihi! I'm first, I'm be-*OW!*" As soon as she makes contact, she recoils and grins in pain. "That was hot hot hot!" She turns to the others, waving her hand around in a futile attempt to cool it down. "It's sun-baked to perfection. Anyone want fried eggs?" she laughs.
Leila looks to the west, thoughtful. "I suppose we could try for the ship. How much time do we have, Henrick? Or we could try the oasis. You don't think those" She points to the two slain beasts "had some sort of shelter? I mean, it's not like they will be using it..."
: The machine quickly processes his companions query. Can we make it to the ship before the storm? It was a simple task for his advanced mind - geometry and vectors - easy as pie. "It is unlikely we would make it all the way. We estimate about 15-45 minutes of travel would remain as the storm strikes us, depending on its current speed. 15-45 minutes of sandstorm is way below our safety margin - we should make it. The issue will be navigation during this last part, so far we have relied mainly on visual cues."
"Hole up? I saw a Jacktalope over there earlier!" she points into the distance. The Jacktalope that previously had watched them was nowhere to be seen. Blushing she looks back at Amalgus and Henrick. "But ... *ehm* you two might be too wide to fit in such a hole ..."
Nicely done! You have defeated the scary beasts : ) I have enough ideas/materials to play out the rest of the day, so I though I just continue until around nightfall. Hopefully Tobaris will reappear until then!
The beast barely have time to regret its decision to sample this new meal before Henricks arrows strike true. The first embeds itself deeply into its shoulder and the other simply disappears into the creatures right eye. With a sigh the creature collapses - well and truly dead. Amalgus swallowed drone easily crawls its way out of the still corpse - it is surprisingly dry for someone whom just been eaten. Silence once more reigns over the arid plains of Akiton. In the distance, the tranquillity and promise of the oasis still remains. But soon the silence starts to turn oppressive. The faint chatter of distant Jacktalopes have faded, no wind rustles the tough leaves of the local plantlife. In the far west, dark clouds have formed over the horizon. Their appearance is unsettling - the day was clear just minutes earlier. Survival or Know (Geography) DC 5:
It doesn't take special knowledge to realize dark clouds mean bad weather. While the exact nature of the weather is unclear, shelter would probably be wise to look for. Survival or Know (Geography) DC 13:
There are two main possibilities. Either this is a sandstorm, similar to those in arid lands on Golarion. That would mean shelter should be protected from the wind - perhaps a burrow or crevasse in the oasis would serve well?
Or it could be an desperately needed rainstorm. This phenomenon is also present on Golarion - dry lands get to feel the blessed touch of water during a few, intense days or hours of furious downpour. If this is the case, something over ones head should be the first priority. However, a cosy cavern or subterranean area could easily turn into a watery grave! Survival or Know (Geography) DC 20:
The speed and altitude of the clouds are well in line with what are to be expected from the typical sandstorm. It is close to the ground and moving at high speeds - explaining how it seemingly appeared out of nowhere. You estimate that it would hit you within the hour. While you are not entirely sure, you know a typical sandstorm on Golarion lasts a few hours at most - but you heard of exceptional ones lasting for several days.
Leila gasps as Henricks deadeye shot drops the beast. "Wow - nice!" She dashes over to Amalgus drone, curious as always. "Hey! This one looks like a dog! Neat!" She turns to wave at Amalgus and Bazzle. Instead she is momentarily stunned. It only lasts for a blink of an eye, then the halfling is jumping and pointing again. "Oooh! Look on the horizon!" She tilts her head to the side. "I bet we could see that from our ship - if we could get the sensors working!"
Henricks last arrow manages to find its mark, but the other two is deflected by the creatures thick leathery hide - provoking only a muffled grunt from the creature. Likewise, Amalgus drones didn't manage to do more then annoy the large predator.
The large beast twists itself backwards, throwing the drone up in the air. With a swift snap it catches it again on its way down, gobbling it down whole. The drone disappears down the gullet of the creature and it smacks its thin lips satisfied. It swings its large head around, surveying the scene. It appears to be searching for a way out now that it managed to snag a meal.
Perception DC 20:
Dark clouds are gathering on the horizon.
Leila tries another spell. Her previous attempt to dull the will of the creature was unsuccessful, but perhaps she can distract it some other way? With a quick incantation she Greases the patch of arid earth underneath the beast, hoping to unbalance it.
Sadly, it seems once again that her magic is unable to distract the creature.
The beast heaves under the combined onslaught of Bazzles magic and the drones. It trashes about, trying to get away from its attacker! When the metal lance from Amalgus impacts, it is if a balloon has been deflated and the creature finally collapses. It hits the ground with a 'thump', causing a small cloud of red dust to form around it. As its jaw slackens, Henricks arm is free (minus a few pieces of the sleeve still stuck to the creatures teeth)!
Undaunted by the failure if its companion, the remaining beast steps forth. Deciding to try this new, close, culinary experience it goes for Amalgus closest drone. With a mighty crash it locks its jaws around the drones upper body, lifting it into the air. The drones metal bends and distorts underneath the terrible forces of its maw.
Seeing her friend free of the menace, Leila jumps into the air with a celebratory shout! "Yey! You made it !" Still smiling she adds "Can you shoot the other one now - before it eats Amalgus *ehm* that piece of him atleast ?" With a sweeping gesture she pulls out some fine sand from a pocket and throws it into the air. "Inimicus ater, lux lucis!" she shouts and calls down a cloud of multicoloured particles on the remaining beast.
The creature merely snorts in reply, ignoring all but the cosmetic effects of the spell.
The foremost beast lumbers forward, shrugging off a pair of Henricks arrows. The third strikes true, opening a gash along the creatures side. Seconds later Bazzles flame scorches the creature and it cries out in pain. Amalgus drones spread out and circles the first beast.
Heal, DC 15:
An educated guess - about an equal amount of damage again would probably be enough to bring the creature down.
The closest beast takes a short moment to survey the scene, seemingly weighting their options. It glances over Amalgus drones, but their scents are weird and unappetizing. Instead it lunges at Henrick with an mighty leap, landing just a few feet away. The beast roars and jabs at him, clamping its impressive jaws shut around his free arm. Pain jolts up along the arm and he almost manages to wrench it free - but with a quick twisting last minute adjustment the beast manages to keep its grip. The beast begins to tug at the arm, yanking it and sending further jolts of pain up along it. The beasts mouth it surprisingly dry - sadly, the lack of mucus means that bits and pieces of the creatures previous meals remain stuck among its teeth - giving it a fragrant breath.
The other beast is disappointed that the source of the delicious smell has disappeared. It lets loose a rumbling roar and takes off, hoping that those weird creatures shunned by its companion might provide some sustenance.
Leila cries out as the first beast attacks Henrick. "Stop it you fugly gnob! Henrick are you okay?!" Taking advantage of the last moments of invisibility and the beast distraction and rushes it from behind, stabbing it with her shortsword. "I'll got your back - get loose already!"
The small length of sharpened steel in the halflings hand finds it mark, cutting into the knee joint of the creature. It yaps in surprise but still maintains a firm grip of Henricks arm.
@Henrick - should you attempt to escape:
As you struggle to escape Leila swiftly conjures a blessing for you. With renewed efforts you strain to free your arm! @Amalgus - should your drone next to beast 2 choose to move: The large creature reacts with startling speed and lashes out with its long tongue. The tongue of the creature has more in common with a thick muscular rope then the short, wet and mushy organs present in the Golarian companions you acquired.
Luckily, the shot goes wide and the creature retracts its tongue with a disappointed look on its face.
Leila continues to move in closer, while her companions cover her from a distance. She makes it a short bit closer from the halfway-point before another stronger breeze hits the party. It is pleasantly cool - the brief difference in temperature almost makes you shiver in delight. Up at point, Leila too notices the sudden wind. She quickly freezes in her track - "I'm upwind from the oasis! I hope -" was all she had time to think before an deafening roar shattered the tranquillity of the scene. "Uh oh!" From the darkness between a pair of rocks in the oasis, a large creature jumps forth. A pair of dinner plate sized eyes regard the party with hunger as it sniffs in the air. Atop one of the other rocks another creature, from the same species by the looks of it - but better fed, seemingly dislodges itself from the ground. It jumps down next to its companion, blinking and yawning. From the distance you can see its huge maw - filled to the brim with inwards pointing teeth. The creatures are about the size of an well fed horse, with the yawning one being slightly better stuffed. They look like some unholy mix of an Bulette, a large reptile and a trash compactor. Their skin is mottled in various hues of red-brown, letting it blend in with the environment. This explains how one of the creatures managed to hide in plain sight on top of the rock. Their heads are large, even compared to their bodies - similar to the size ratios of a goblin, but not quite so extreme. Their faces are dominated by a wide (and toothy!) mouth and a large pair of eyes. When the creature emerging from the shadows enter the sunlight, it starts to squint like its companion. If it weren't for the obvious intention of eating you - they could be considered almost cute. A trio of slits above the mouth seems to serve as a nose. There are large, broad claws at the end of its feet. Knowledge (Nature) DC 14:
Their huge maws makes you think of deepsea fish - creatures known for their tendency to devour everything they find. Considering the size of said mouth you believe the creature would have no problem with gobbling down a man whole. And indeed, it doesn't even appear to have teeth suitable for chewing! Instead they are angled back towards the throat, probably to prevent a meal from escaping (5 foot reach).
From the state of the local flora you would guess they appear to be strictly carnivorous. Judging by its leathery hide you estimate its AC to be in the range of 19-23. As an animal, you suspect magic targeting its mind would be most effective (low will save). Knowledge (Nature) DC 19 (also the threshold for Kirrin style):
When the creature yawned you noticed something fascinating! The creatures tongue, thick as a human leg, appeared to be attached and rolled in the bottom of the mouth similar to certain species of lizard. That might give it an extra edge to grab and drag things, such as yourself, into its waiting maw.
The claws appear more suitable for digging and shovelling dirt then actual fighting. You would be (unpleasantly) surprised if it actually managed to bring them to bear in close combat. But their presence - in combination with their large eyes - seems to suggest that the creature is capable of spending significant time underneath the ground. Perhaps the similarities in colouration between the creatures skin and the rocks put your earlies estimators off, but really, its AC is probably at the lover end of the range (19-21). Considering the surprising nimbleness which the creature moves at, and the harsh landscape it thrives in, you would say both its reflex and fortitude save is top notch (~10). Additionally, its powerful build appears well suited to both running and jumping (it has the Run feat and great Acrobatics). Knowledge (Nature) DC 24:
The creature does not act like a pack predator, so it is unlikely they will employ advanced tactics or engage the same prey. The leaner one appears more hungry and thus more likely to try and bite of more then it could chew (swallow). The better fed specimen is probably content to harass their flank and find something snack sized to drag off (like Leila or Bazzle).
You also manages to pinpoint its AC (20) and estimate its speed to 40'. Under ground, you would guess about half of that. Considering the amount of muscle conected to its jaw, and the angle and sharpness of the teeth - you guess its bite would average between 13-16 damage.
The leaner of the two monsters runs straight towards the party, showing no hesitation. Its claws clatter against the hard ground as it dashes forth. It bellows once more. The creature makes an impressive pace - just slightly slower then a well trained horse could manage. Far to the east, the Jackalope produces somekind of snack and begins munching it in excitement. The other takes a more careful approach. It moves closer and sniffs in the air - trying to pinpoint the source of that delicious smell it noticed during the last breeze.
Leila swallows hard as the creature stampedes past her just a few feet away. She manages to retain her cool and tries to double back to the safety of her friends - without alerting either beast of her presence.
"Okeydokay! I'll take a look!" the small woman leans in closer and starts to point out features between the party and the oasis. "I'll head there first, then ..." She tells (and points) out the route she is planning on taking, so that perhaps her companions can keep an eye out - even if she is invisible. With a smile and a wave she pops the Vanish spell and heads off into the distance.
The halfling quickly makes her way towards the oasis. The hard, dry Akitonian soil makes it easy to avoid leaving footsteps - so they only appear where Leila deliberately put them - hidden by small shrubs or rocks from the oasis, but in plain view to the party. Since she pointed out her route to the party they can, with some difficulty, track her with those. After half a minute she reappears hidden behind one of the larger rocks, right in the middle between her goal and the party. Her dress with muted earthly tones would blend in perfectly on Golarion, but not with Akitonian soil. She waves. Know(Arcana) DC 12:
As you recall, Leila said she was going to use the Vanish spell. It is from the illusion school and mimics the power of Invisibility - but with a very limited duration. Thirty seconds is the maximum duration one could hope to gain from such a lowly spell - which would explain Leilas break. Know(Arcana) DC 17 (same roll!):
Upon a moments further pondering you recall that it actually is possible to get some more mileage out of the spell. However, it would take the use of Metamagic to Extend the duration - an almost certain waste of resources.
Perception DC 12:
She is looking back at the party, smiling - there appears to be nothing wrong, merely a quick break. You can make out the slow gestures of someone attempting to work some magic without being too obvious about it. Spellcraft DC 17, ONLY if previous Perception check is made : ):
The magic she is weaving appears to be a glamer. As the spell progresses during the following seconds it becomes clear she is casting Vanish a second time. Even a master cannot make such a lowly spell last more then half a minute without considerable effort - which explains why she took a break. After about ten-twenty seconds, Leila seems to have decided to start moving again. With a dramatic gesture she sweeps her colour-shifting cloak around her, causing her to easily blend in with her surroundings. Not soon after the last visible parts disappear as her magic once more takes hold and she continues her expedition. Back at the vantage site, a sudden light breeze takes the edge of the heat for a few sweet moments. But then, as quickly as it came it is gone again and the heat is back in full force. In the distance to your east, a lone Jackalope has appeared. Currently, it is observing you with curious interest. It is about 750' away. Meanwhile, the Oasis looks tranquil. After a while, the animal shuffles a bit closer to you before taking shelter underneath a tilted rock - still making sure it has full vision on the party and the oasis. Perception DC 22, 20 if you are with Leila:
Something is stirring in a crevasse between two of the rocks. A pair of eyes stares at the party. The feeling they convey is that the creature in contemplating which dressing would go best with this unfamiliar meal it has been watching. It is slowly wagging its large head side to side, as if contemplating what to do.
Details of the creature is hard to make out in the shadows where it resides, but it does appear to be the size of an horse - give or take. One feature you can make out is that the head appears to be rather large, even for such a body. Perception DC 27, 25 if you are with Leila. Same roll as previous!:
There is something else there too! Atop one of the other rocks a similar pair of eyes look down on you. The creature seems to blend easily with the red rocks it is residing on - and it is squinting - which makes it hard to notice.
It appears to have no legs, but it might just be laying down. If you were to hazard a guess, you would say this one might just be a few pounds heavier then its friend.¨ Perception DC 32, 30 if you are with Leila. Same roll as previous!:
The creature ontop of the rock does have legs. They are just hard to spot for all but the sharpest eye, as they appear to be nearly tucked in underneath the creatures body.
The halfling tilts her head to the side. "Eh? Poisoned or guarded ? But the shade looks nice ... I bet I could sneak closer and take a look! I'll just use a miliscule of magic - I'll turn back if I see anything wrong. Whadayathink?"
The halfling nods. "It never hurts to replenish our supplies!"
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