Gerrod looks after the departing Un-Raj. "I do not believe there is anything left of him to fix. He seems to have been altered into the creature we see now. This does not bode well for those others who have taken the drug." He looks sadly over to Oliver before he continues. "It seems not to require mayhem unless we prevent it from its task. I suggest we follow from a safe distance and see where it goes."
Oliver pats Buttercup on the neck, a look of serious consideration on his face. He nods and wordlessly waits until Raj is a good distance away. He then leads his canine companion alongside Gerrod as they follow.
The Raj-thing reaches the wall, pauses, staring at it with consideration. It then jams its claws into the joints of the brickwork and begins to climb slowly and steadily to the top. You see it balance at the top for a moment, then it steps off, landing with a thud you can hear from your side.
Ses’Shelk grins widely, then leaps up at the wall, grabbing hold about ten feet up and scurrying the rest of the way in seconds. He straddles the top, paying out a rope back down to the group and securing it with a hook. He then disappears from view.
It takes a minute or two to rig up a hoist to pull Buttercup up and lower her down the other side, but you are all over and gathered at the base of the wall fairly quickly. You see ses’Shelk a few hundred yards away, hopping up and down to attract your attention, and you catch up to him within ten minutes or so. He’s been following the Raj-thing from about 30 yards away, but the plant-insect creature either hasn’t noticed or doesn’t care.
By the light of the moon, you can see that the Raj-thing is headed straight for a low rock overhang at the base of the foothills. When you get within 50 yards, you can see that there appears to be a series of caves under the protection of the overhang, and the Raj-thing is heading straight for one. He hasn’t altered his course since he stepped away from the melee thirty minutes ago.
Gerrod Spoiler
Actions and conversation, please.
PC Status:
Oliver: full HP, -2 Wis, -2 Int
Buttercup: full
Gerrod: full
Zombie: full
ses’Shelk: full
He’s been following the Raj-thing from about 30 yards away, but the plant-insect creature either hasn’t noticed or doesn’t care.
By the light of the moon, you can see that the Raj-thing is headed straight for a low rock overhang at the base of the foothills. When you get within 50 yards, you can see that there appears to be a series of caves under the protection of the overhang, and the Raj-thing is heading straight for one. He hasn’t altered his course since he stepped away from the melee thirty minutes ago.
Gerrod carefully notes which cave the the creature enters and then pauses for a minute. His purplish glowing eyes fade and become unnoticeable as he looks carefully around in the darkness for hidden enemies. Ukiah, his rat, climbs down from Gerrod's pack and goes for a quiet scamper and scout for danger.
Finding none, the group approaches the door. Gerrod gazes inside and carefully listens for noises before deciding whether to continue.
By the light of the moon, you can see that the Raj-thing is headed straight for a low rock overhang at the base of the foothills. When you get within 50 yards, you can see that there appears to be a series of caves under the protection of the overhang, and the Raj-thing is heading straight for one. He hasn’t altered his course since he stepped away from the melee thirty minutes ago.
You move closer to the cave opening, and as you get to within 25 yards or so, you begin to notice some sort of light source flickering from within. Anyone (or thing) in the mouth of the cave would be outlined in the light, and you don’t see anything, so you carefully move to the mouth. Ukiah joins you, having scouted around, and he still seems calm and unperturbed, although his nose is twitching with the scent of nearby hunters. They’re just not alarmingly nearby.
Oliver, mounted on Buttercup, offers to stay outside and warn you if any more of the Raj-things approach the cave mouth. He demonstrates an effective bird-call that he’ll use if you get any company. Satisfied, Gerrod and ses’Shelk inch slowly into the cave, which is almost ten feet high and twenty feet wide where you enter, but slopes down rapidly to about three feet high and ten feet wide by the back. The light is coming from a sharply down-sloping tunnel that leads from the back of the cave.
The tunnel quickly opens up into a large, inverted cone shape chamber, about 100 feet deep. The passage you’re in opens at the top, where the chamber must be two hundred feet in diameter. It slopes inward to the bottom, where the slightly bowl-shaped floor is about 50 feet in diameter. A path runs from your passage, zig-zagging down the slope of the chamber to the bottom. Down on the floor you see a large gathering of lizardfolk, about fifty of them. They’re the big type, saurons, and they’re clearly excited about something. Many of them carry torches, and they seem to be sort of dancing from foot to foot. They are chanting very softly, and as you watch they begin to move away from the middle of the floor, clearing a circular space for just two figures: Raj and a lizardfolk shaman holding a crystal-tipped spear and wearing a cape of muskrat fur. A small hawk sits perched on his left shoulder.
The shaman rotates around in circle, gesturing to all the assembled lizardfolk, and touches Raj on the forehead, then on the chest, then he backs away from the insect-plant creature to join the crowd.
While this is taking place, ses’Shelk begins to shake his head back and forth, his mouth open and his tongue testing the air. He whispers in your ear, “These of the Singing-Chasm people. Very mean. This bad. We go?”
A rumbling sound begins to emanate from some unseen tunnel down at floor level of the chamber, and a large creature begins to slither-skitter out onto the floor. The lizardfolk part for it, making a wide, respectful path. The thing looks like a giant toad, with an oversized head, huge eyes, and a big bloated throat sac. It’s about eight feet tall at the front shoulder, and the bulk of its body stretches back into the shadows, but it must be at least twenty feet long.
OOC: Do you speak draconic?
Actions and conversation, please.
PC Status:
Oliver: full HP, -2 Wis, -2 Int
Buttercup: full
Gerrod: full
ses’Shelk: full
A rumbling sound begins to emanate from some unseen tunnel down at floor level of the chamber, and a large creature begins to slither-skitter out onto the floor. The lizardfolk part for it, making a wide, respectful path. The thing looks like a giant toad, with an oversized head, huge eyes, and a big bloated throat sac. It’s about eight feet tall at the front shoulder, and the bulk of its body stretches back into the shadows, but it must be at least twenty feet long.
Gerrod gazes upon the enormous beast and then slowly pulls back towards the cave entrance, gesturing for Ses'shelk to accompany him. An army of lizardmen and a creature as big as a cave are far too much for the two of them to handle.
They work their way outside, gather Oliver, and retreat a good ways back towards the city before discussing their next move. "The way I see it, there are two options. We can return to Gornalunga and see if she can interpret this ritual, or we can try to intercept this Bhateef who supplying Annapuma with his drug. In fact we might be able to do both...Ses'shelk, is there time to return to Gornalunga for dsicussion and make it back here within three days?" The wizard looks around carefully. "We are still being hunted and it may be better to move continuously and unexpectedly."
OOC: Gerrod speaks Abyssal but not Draconic. Any chance he can learn it from Ses'shelk?
OOC2: Does Gerrod have any idea what he was seeing?
Gerrod gazes upon the enormous beast and then slowly pulls back towards the cave entrance, gesturing for Ses'shelk to accompany him. An army of lizardmen and a creature as big as a cave are far too much for the two of them to handle.
Ses’Shelk is in total agreement. His nostrils flare, and he tries to twitch a tail that’s no longer there. Just as you turn to go, you see the giant toad-beast shoot out its tongue, ensnaring the thing that was once Raj, reel him in, and swallow him whole. It makes a few crunching, chewing noises, then slides back into its tunnel. The lizardfolk all around the spectacle begin to chant and slap their tails excitedly.
You work your way outside, gather Oliver, and retreat a good ways back towards the city before discussing your next move. "The way I see it, there are two options. We can return to Gornalunga and see if she can interpret this ritual, or we can try to intercept this Bhateef who is supplying Annapuma with his drug. In fact we might be able to do both...Ses'shelk, is there time to return to Gornalunga for discussion and make it back here within three days?" The wizard looks around carefully. "We are still being hunted and it may be better to move continuously and unexpectedly."
ses’Shelk cocks his head to the side and samples the air with his tongue. He retracts it self-consciously, then says, “No. Five days back and forth, at least. But no need to go to Heron-woman.” He hands a cats-eye agate to Gerrod and says, “Hold the eye when you go sleepy-time tonight. Heron-woman will come to you in Dreamscape.”
Jeff – You sent the following turn a while ago. Did you still want to follow these actions?
Gerrod checks to be certain they're not being followed by anybody...especially looking for Mehdi. Satisfied, he leads the group to a different inn and pays for a single night's rest. He studies and casts an Alarm spell on the door, sets his Manservant to guard, and then prepares to take a nap. "Oliver, we may not require rest but we do need allies. Gornalunga watches over dreams and I wish to attempt contact with her in my sleep. You must wake me after an hour, after which I will know if she can be reached." (One he is asleep Gerrod tries to contact Gornalunga. If she responds, he will tell her 1) about the Green Welcome and what they know about the source and 2) that Genar and Aelfric have been taken by their enemies who are approaching the feverglades. Gerrod wants to know if a) she needs more information and b) if she knows of potential allies they can contact.)
DM Note 1: Gerrod can learn broken Draconic from ses’Shelk, given time.
DM Note 2: I think the above clears it up a bit. Raj was the sacrifice for some sort of ritual.
Actions and conversation, please.
PC Status:
Oliver: full HP, -2 Wis, -2 Int
Buttercup: full
Gerrod: full
ses’Shelk: full
ses’Shelk c%#*% his head to the side and samples the air with his tongue. He retracts it self-consciously, then says, “No. Five days back and forth, at least. But no need to go to Heron-woman.” He hands a cats-eye agate to Gerrod and says, “Hold the eye when you go sleepy-time tonight. Heron-woman will come to you in Dreamscape.”Jeff – You sent the following turn a while ago. Did you still want to follow these actions?
Gerrod checks to be certain they're not being followed by anybody...especially looking for Mehdi. Satisfied, he leads the group to a different inn and pays for a single night's rest. He studies and casts an Alarm spell on the door, sets his Manservant to guard, and then prepares to take a nap. "Oliver, we may not require rest but we do need allies. Gornalunga...
OOC: Gerrod was considering keeping on the move, but the first plan is still good. They'll find a new inn and try to contact Gornalunga. Allies or advice on the approaching enemies is still a big question for her. Gerrod'll keep his eyes open for a graveyard as they tromp around, 'cause he wants another zombie.
Jeff,
I sent this email around the other day. If you didn't get it, then I don't have a good email adress for you. (I tried 3 different accounts.) Please reply, and let me know which account you want me to send upcoming posts to. The concensus is clearly to drop the play by post and go back to email gaming.
Gang,
We’ve been playing by post on the paizo boards for over 3 months now, and I’ve noticed that response times have begun to extend. I think it’s probably best to return to an email system, which seemed to work better. Please reply to this email (ditusa@email.unc.edu) and let me know that you got it. I’m going to post this same message on the boards, so if your email address has changed, you should still get this message. If anyone has a compelling reason for not switching back to email, speak now or forever hold your peace.
A second issue involves the possibility that interest in the game is flagging. I realize that it’s been going on for about eight years now, which really is amazing. The fact that it’s held together for this long is gratifying, but I need to know that I have your interest in continuing. Responses to my posts have been getting shorter, and interaction between characters (and players) has dropped off.
I have listed a few possible scenarios:
Complete boredom with current adventure (or possibly the entire campaign)
Been playing character so long it has lost its “spark”
Have no idea what’s going on, can’t keep track - lost
Too busy to post very often, or very long (nice try)
Other
Any and all of these issues can be addressed, but they must be raised before we can do so. I have a thick skin, and I’m looking for constructive criticism here. Be brutal. We can do anything from “just keep going as we are” to “start over from scratch with new characters” to anything in between. The only thing I ask is that you be honest, and commit to posting at least a few times a week, most of the time. What sort of things are detracting from your entertainment? How would you change things to make it better?
You can reply to all, or just to me, however you prefer.
Sincerely,
Chuck