True to form, Lena blasts the Dark Young with a blistering fireball... which it appears to completely ignore. With its many mouths singing the song that will end the world, it stalks forwards, ripping the black tentacles from the ground, and you feel fear.
As it stomps forwards, the ground around you shakes and one of its long, vine-like tendrils lashes out before grabbing Adder by the throat, lifting him from the ground.
Lena
---
Dark Young
---
Bronin
Wren
Adder (-17) (grappled)
Whiskeyjack
Elena
Round 2, 27
Know (Dung)
Know (Planes)
”Oh a Dark Young! Careful dearies, this is no mere extraplanar abomination from anyplace, but from the putrid vaginal caves of Shub-Niggurath,” Wren points out the obvious. ”We should be more careful than to play in its tentacles.”
”cawCAW!” Wren fires her wand at the creature after moving back more.
force damage
SR check -wand
HP: 61/61
AC: 17 (3 dex, 4 mage armor)
Arcane Bond: 0/1 used
Open spell slots:
Left Hand: none
Right Hand: wand
Sage Advice: (0/9 used)
:
”cawCAW!”
[ dice]5d4+5[/dice] force damage
As the shadows grow and the Planes are brought crashing together Elena's eyes grow a deep black. Her feet coming nearly an inch off the ground as small pebbles begin to float with the power around the young barmaid. Potpie caws and begins to smash his face into the stone wall as if something is also messing with him. "This link is weak but it grows stronger. Still this woman fights me." The strange woman's voice sounds as she casts a spell. A sickly greenish, gray ray leaps from Elena's necklace at the Dark Young.
Elena
HP 57/75
AC 19 (Mage Armor +4 10 hours)
Spells:
1st: Mage Armor (Self); Shield Companion
2nd: Merge w/ Familiar; Summon Swarm
3rd: Gloomblind Bolts
4th: Shadow Conjuration; Black Tentacles; Summon Monster IV[/ooc]
5th: Wracking Ray
Wands: Mage Armor (49/50); CLW (38/50)
PotPie
HP 56/57
AC 21 (Shield Companion +1; Mage Armor +4)
Effects: Merge w/ Familiar; Shield Companion
Battleform 2/3
DC 24- I need a Nat 20 just to make it. Minga!
This thing is just so huge and terrifying. How could those stupid Mi-Go's bring THIS into the world.
Bronin is so terrified of this thing, it is all that he can see in his vision. He doesn't even notice Elena speak with a different voice and let lose obscene power. The power of Wren's missiles do give him some "all hope is not lost" feelings.
With that question:
Bronin tries hacking and hacking. I factored in shaken condition.
Long Sword Haste
Short sword
Long Sword primary attack
Short sword Secondary
Long Sword Secondary attack
If Long and Short sword connect - rending damage.
@ GM - please advise how many hit, as I need to take 1d6 viscious damage myself. I would obviously stop swinging if I destroy a tenticle. I hope the above makes sense. If not, do whatever, and I am cool with the results.
Bronin moves five feet forward, trying to close the gap with this monster and going fully defensive, expecting to get the full onslaught of this thing's attacks. He shifts his sword to help with his defense.
Bronin Fully Def AC - 29.
HP 45/94
AC 18 T10 FF17
CMD 27
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +7; +1 Luck bonus vs. traps, +3 Ref vs traps
SA: sneak attack +3d6, studied target +3 (3rd, swift action)
Orc Ferocity: 1/1
Tactician: 1/2
Target: None
Active: Staggered, Grappled
Adder would be reeling if he wasn't bound by tentacles. He does his best to break free.
Whiskeyjack was shaken by the screams of the creature. And so he did what every dwarf worth his beard would do in the face of unremitting terror.
Hollering at the top of his lungs, Whiskeyjack raised his shield and charged straight ahead, his golden hammer leading the way!
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Wren knows quite a bit about dark young. Being treelike, they are best hit by slashing weapons and cannot be harmed by fire, electricity, acid, and poison. So she shoots it with a magic missile, which blasts off one of the howling mouths.
A dark power seizes Elena, and the terrified, sobbing barmaid with her chicken friend is gone, instead replaced by a strange, eldritch force that also has a chicken friend. The air feels wrong as the bolt zips past your heads, slamming into the Dark Young. The tree appears to wilt before you. Whatever happened was powerful and has seriously harmed your foe.
Whiskeyjack roars, ignoring his fear as he charges in. Unfortunately he is side-swiped by one of the long tendrils, and yanked into the air by his foot!
Bronin starts wailing at the tendril holding Adder, but is unable to get through the tough, weird wood.
Lena
---
Dark Young (-9 str, -5 dex) (grappling Adder and Whiskeyjack)
---
Bronin
Wren
Adder (-17) (grappled)
Whiskeyjack (-9) (grappled)
Elena
[ooc] @ GM, that sounds perfectly fair. I also moved my token 5 feet on the map. I wanted to do that as a part of the full round action to try and free Adder.
Bronin moves five feet forward,
Round 3, 27
Wren squawks what she remembers about Dark Young, echoing her warnings about getting too close and tentacly with the beast.
”cawCAW!” Wren fires her wand at the creature.
force damage
SR check -wand
HP: 61/61
AC: 17 (3 dex, 4 mage armor)
Arcane Bond: 0/1 used
Open spell slots:
Left Hand: none
Right Hand: wand
Sage Advice: (0/9 used)
:
”cawCAW!”
[ dice]5d4+5[/dice] force damage
Lena fires off a force missile, which continues to do its damage. The Dark Young sings the praises of the Black Goat, dropping Whiskeyjack as it focuses on its chosen target, Bronin. Bronin is brought closer in to the enormous creature, as its mouths beg to feed him their truths.
Lena
---
Dark Young (-43) (-9 str, -5 dex) (grappling Adder and Whiskeyjack)
---
Bronin
Wren
Adder (-39) (pinned)
Whiskeyjack (-9)
Elena
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Whiskeyjack crashed to the ground, stumbling forward to wail on the gribbly. No one picks him up and tosses him around unless he is very drunk and singing at a bar!
Seeing Adder in trouble- deep trouble- Bronin moves closer to the beast. Even though Wren thinks that it is probably a WORSE IDEA to be closer to it- he's already in the eye of the hurricane.
Long Sword Haste
Short sword
Long Sword primary attack
Short sword
Long Sword Secondary attack
If Long and Short sword connect - rending damage.
Elena's dark power within smolders and clashes against the Dark Young. "You will regret coming to this world of your own will."
Elena
HP 57/75
AC 19 (Mage Armor +4 10 hours)
Spells:
1st: Mage Armor (Self); Shield Companion
2nd: Merge w/ Familiar; Summon Swarm
3rd: Gloomblind Bolts
4th: Shadow Conjuration; Black Tentacles; Summon Monster IV[/ooc]
5th: Wracking Ray; Major Curse
Wands: Mage Armor (49/50); CLW (38/50)
PotPie
HP 56/57
AC 21 (Shield Companion +1; Mage Armor +4)
Effects: Merge w/ Familiar; Shield Companion
Battleform 2/3
The mouths scream as Elena's curse takes hold of the creature, the noise louder, and more deafening as Bronin begins to slash away athe wood and Whiskeyjack brings Raven's Head down hard.
Adder resists the draining effects of the Dark Young, for the most part, but he is still in a bad way.
HP 23/94
AC 18 T10 FF17
CMD 27
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +7; +1 Luck bonus vs. traps, +3 Ref vs traps
SA: sneak attack +3d6, studied target +3 (3rd, swift action)
Orc Ferocity: 1/1
Tactician: 1/2
Target: None
Active: Staggered, Grappled, Pinned, -1 STR
Lena gathers up all of her magicky bits and fires off another empowered magic missile.
The Dark Young starts to try and pour its hideous green slime into Adder's mouth, but a burst of energy from the half-orc frees him from its grasp! Thrashing about madly, it goes for Bronin now, the most obvious of its woes. Its movements are stiff and sluggish now, thanks to the incredible power of Elena's curses.
Bronin is beaten soundly and then yanked up into the air by his neck! As he rises up, you see in the dome around you the underwater world start to shift. Something Is Coming. A horrifying glory - a roiling tangle of flesh and hair and colossal tentacles, interspersed with mouths, fins, hooves, and other appendages, and thousands of dark, staring eyes that seem to open on vistas of unimaginable star-studded darkness.
The Dark Young summons its mother with its very presence. The Black Goat of the Woods is coming to this world, and she is fecund and her spawn myriad.
Lena
---
Dark Young (-154) (-9 str, -5 dex) (-4 curse) (grappling Bronin)
---
Bronin (-32)
Wren
Adder (-39) (pinned)
Whiskeyjack (-9)
Elena
"Doom will befall us all!" Elena points at the powerful creature as it begins to summon its Mother. Her voice echoes from beyond the grave.
Elena
HP 57/75
AC 19 (Mage Armor +4 10 hours)
Spells:
1st: Mage Armor (Self); Shield Companion
2nd: Merge w/ Familiar; Summon Swarm
3rd: Gloomblind Bolts
4th: Shadow Conjuration; Black Tentacles; Summon Monster IV[/ooc]
5th: Wracking Ray; Major Curse
Wands: Mage Armor (49/50); CLW (38/50)
PotPie
HP 56/57
AC 21 (Shield Companion +1; Mage Armor +4)
Effects: Merge w/ Familiar; Shield Companion
Battleform 2/3
Round 4, 27
”NO NO NO! Do *NOT* call Mother!!” Wren squawks angrily with increasing agitation. "There is no place for her here! SQUAWK!" She hand casts a Magic Missile spell to ensure it disrupts the summons.
force damage
SR
HP: 61/61
AC: 17 (3 dex, 4 mage armor)
Arcane Bond: 0/1 used
Open spell slots:
Left Hand: none
Right Hand: wand
Sage Advice: (0/9 used)
:
”cawCAW!”
[ dice]5d4+5[/dice] force damage
Bronin, with feet off the air and being suffocated -struggles on. He is not a lemming to just fall off the cliff. He is a lord of the land.
With his long sword pinned, he swings with the short sword in his hand.
Short sword
Short sword
Short sword
Bronin puts up a fight, but this thing has his number. His swings are pathetic.
HP 23/94
AC 18 T10 FF17
CMD 27
Fort +11, Ref +10, Will +7; +1 Luck bonus vs. traps, +3 Ref vs traps
SA: sneak attack +3d6, studied target +3 (3rd, swift action)
Orc Ferocity: 1/1
Tactician: 1/2
Target: Tentacle Jerk
Active: -1 STR
Adder grips his sword and swings at the tentacle jerk.
Whiskeyjack continued to flail at the creature, ignoring the horrors being summoned to this world in hopes of stopping the Young. In his mind, the best defense is a strong offence.
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Magic missiles fly in as the group moves in aggressively on the Dark Young. Wren's last missile sends it reeling, which is enough for Bronin, Adder, and Whiskeyjack to clamber over it. Blades plunge into its trunk repeatedly until Adder spots a screaming mouth and slams his weapon home, ending the thing's horrid existence.
The Dark Young falls apart, collapsing into a horrid goo as you land onto the ground. Out in the depths of the lake, you see the form of Shub-Niggurath start to dwindle, rapidly. Within an eyeblink, she is gone.
End of Combat
The mi-go have been routed, the skum wiped out, and this dark horror is gone from this world. You are victorious, and as good victorious heroes do, you loot the joint.
The Dark Rider is now just a splatter on a window, but a metal bin which survived the fireballs and tentacles holds what appears to have been his possessions, as well as a few other interesting objects.
- suit of shadow mistmail
- a +1 wounding sickle
- +2 belt of giant strength
- a Whispering Way amulet
- a pouch holding 500 platinum
- a diamond worth 760 platinum
- a parchment letter bearing the seal of the Whispering Way
And finally, the relic you have been chasing down since the long ago days of the Beast in Lepidstadt, you find the Seasage Sausage Effigy. It radiates strong magic.
As you marvel over your new discoveries, the entire complex is rocked by a blast wave. It appears that expelling Shub-Niggurath from this reality has triggered a backlash of some kind. Sparks start to fly from the equipment, and more alarmingly, you see cracks start to form in the dome around you! Water begins to flood in, and it's likely this place will be underwater in ten minutes.
Elena help gather the equipment. "We need to get back to that submarine before we are buried here!" her eyes seem to have returned to normal as the amulet around her neck is dull once more. Potpie also seems to have returned to normal as the backlash of power seems to have short-circuited whatever hold the amulet seems to have help on the innocent woman. Overall she seems unaffected and doesn't seem to recall anything that happened.
She grabs the bottom of her dress with one hand and scoops up Potpie with the other as the chicken has returned to normal size from the expended power. She makes a run for the sub.
"Come Baba, quickly now!"
Adder helps Wren move along.
Handling the Sausage Effigy, Wren snaps out of her momentary revelry to look at Jameson, then slowly realizing what is going on.
”Oh dearies! What are you doing looking at me when you should be getting out of here? Let’s go, let’s go!” Wren begins to fly as fast a people are running for the exit. She’s not worried about herself, but is there to help others who might need emergency extraction.
Wren’s Riding the Waves is still going and she should be able to swim out.
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Realizing it's time to get the hell out of this place, you all rush through the complex as the water starts to flood in. It is at your knees by the time you suck in deep breaths and push through into the incredible depths of the lake. Thankfully, the submersible is still there, and you all cram in to head back to the surface.
Horace Croon lets out a cheer as he pulls you up and you regale what happened. The mi-go have been slaughtered, the intrusion of the Black Goat of the Woods has been stopped, and you are now one-up on the Whispering Way. You return as triumphant heroes to the town that never really liked you to begin with.
Illmarsh is a traumatized town and although it's clear you've aerned respect from the weird, insular locals, it's clear your time here is short. They want you to leave.
Which is fine, because the note from the Dark Rider clearly lays out the next target of the activities of the Whispering Way. Your note has finally given you an idea of what this is about. The Whispering Way need components to build something called The Carrion Crown, and they need the Raven's Head to complete it.
It's clear where you need to go next: Caliphas. Caliphas the wealthy, the decadent. The largest city in this part of the world, and the soul of Ustalav.
Any of you know what on Golarian this letter means? I hate these bastards and their secret whispers piss me off.
What does this stuff actually mean? Do any of you know some of these initials so I can put their corpse in the ground?
|
They are making something. Something that could be very bad. Something we have to stop.
Lena shrugs
So far, they have drained a ghost, stole a statue, retrieved the heart of a werewolf king. What's next. Caliphas.
A city past its time of glory. Terrible things happen there. I grew up there.
She smiles. It is not a nice smile.
[b]We cannot go in there as we have. fireballs and swords would bring the watch on our heads. We must be careful.[\b]
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"Bah! In Caliphas fireballs an' swords are just th' daily entertainment. If'n ye're no' messin' wit' th' nobility, then they won't bother with ye any father than ye ken spi' a ra'! Still, i' be nice t' be gettin' back t' a real city again where we ken be findin' some decent water. This stuff's well an' good fer gettin' yer eyes and sinuses clear, bu' occasionally I be wantin' a nice cool drink o' water, wit' jest a little head on i'."
Whiskeyjack, patted his flask as he talked, then took another swig, holding it out to any that wanted some of that sinus-clearing whiskey.
Wren treasures the Seasage Effigy, but realizes it might not be long for this world.
What does this stuff actually mean? Do any of you know some of these initials so I can put their corpse in the ground?
’”I think it means that we should destroy this Effigy. If it is important to the plans of our foes, we should destroy it before we lose possession of it. Then we should go to Caliphas and seek to gain this mace, the Raven’s Head, maybe? And destroy that too.” Wren says sadly, examining the Effigy.
Spellcraft on Effigy (w/Identify)
Wren spends a good long time using her bird-brain on the effigy, also asking anyone she knows in town about it while the group recover in Illmarsh.
What she learns about the effigy is kind of disturbing.
The effigy's true name is the Face of Dagon, and it is a powerful holy relic which would be sacred to the skum and likely dates to the days of prehistory when the aboleth ruled the land and the skum were their servants and still had their original name, which is lost to time.
The Face of Dagon allows the bearer to breathe water. However, more powerfully it allows you to communicate with Dagon, or even the Great Old Ones or Outer Gods once per week to seek their wisdom. Doing so carries a reasonable risk that you will go permanently insane.
Referencing to the note, it's clear that the Dark Rider's true goal was the warhammer Whiskeyjack now carries - Raven's Head. The Face of Dagon was likely stolen so they could trade with the skum for the warhammer. That is until the mi-go messed everything up.
It is quite likely that, knowing the true nature of the relic, the University would pay very, very handsomely to have it returned.
Wren will explain about the Mace, the Effigy, and the whatever else she learns. She feels that the Sausage Effigy should be destroyed, but don't do it alone. She may also feel that the warhammer should be destroyed as it might be an implement that could lead to a far deadlier end.
"So, tweet," Wren says, putting her hands on her hips and looking peckish after explaining what she's learned.
"Oooohhh...that's the Raven Mace. So...if we destroy the warhammer, 'they' won't be able to complete the Carrion Crown? Am I understanding that correctly?"
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The strange effigy causes Elena to shiver. "How long have you had this sausage effigy?" She regrets asking the next question. "Have any of you spoken with the Old Gods?"
"We just recently acquired it," Wren responds to Elena. "I think we should destroy it, and perhaps give the pieces back to the University. Now that we know what it can do, we cannot risk others finding out. Using it to contact gods that would destroy our reality."
Wren sets down the Effigy in easy reach of W'Jack's mace warhammer.
"This is a door that must be closed." She nods at W'Jack, waiting.
We are taking down this Cult no matter what, so whether the Sausage survives or not, it's moot. The thing isn't ending up in the hands of The Cult anymore.
Plus, messing with ages old idols is my idea of bad luck. It lasted past minutes, and days and years to graduate to "Ages Old" for a good reason.
I say it goes back to the museum whole and in tact. But,admittedly, I slept through my Artifacts and Relics class at Kragis A'ire - and I convinced this shy female gnome to give me crib notes for the exams.
My eyes are turning towards Caliphas. I am used to the noble hobnobbing, so just follow my lead and we will get whatever juice we need to squeeze out of Caliphas. When they hear that a Lord from the Riverlands is arriving, they will invite us to all the influencial parties.
Adder watches the interplay.
"This cult could steal effigy from museum, use it for ritual before they are destroyed. Better to be safe."
Whiskeyjack needed no further encouragement. Just looking at the idol made him queasy. Just as with any of the dark holy symbols he has found along the way, he treated the effigy to the a friendly introduction to his warhammer, ignoring anything Bronin had to say.
Whiskeyjack brings Raven's Head to bear down on the idol. The first blow doesn't do much, but while the Face of Dagon is a powerful relic, the Raven's Head is an artifact. One more swing and the group is knocked back by an explosion of black energy. There is a horrific sound of screaming and swirling before a small void seems to open in reality, sucking in the sound and the remnants of the idol. It snaps shut, and you have a sensation of relief. Reality seems just a bit more stable.
Whiskeyjack picked himself off the ground and shook all over like a dog shedding water. Then he grinned.
"There. I be thinkin' tha' means th' dark one above willnae be plantin' her fee' on Golarion any time soon. As fer less money, pfagh! No one be needin' money bad enough t' le' th' like o' th' Old Ones back into this realm. Now, le's be on t' Caliphas. There be cultists there wha' need t' be reminded o' why i's a bad idea t' be summonin' gods int' th' world. Especially ones whose idea of a good time is the utter ruination o' sentient critters!"
Wren shudders from fear and delight as she witnesses something that not even she had seen before: the destruction of an artifact. She goes over to pick up on of the medium sized pieces, putting it into her haversack.
She wraps the rest into a kerchief, then putting them into a bag. ”It might be that many museums will be a bit to have a piece of this, now that it is inert and now that we can explain its history,” Wren says hopefully.
”Thank you, Whiskey Jack. It’s important that we did that.” Wren smiles her cracked yellow teeth at the dwarf.
”Now, let’s get to Caliphas. Shall we get a coach? Horses? Walking? Let’s get a move on...” Wren gathers her stuff and is ready to go.
Elena realizes she had been holding her breath the whole time as the group discussed this dangerous idol. She didn't know much of anything about it nor the Old Gods, so she kept quiet. As it shatters and the unholy energy washes over everything a small part of her feels relief while another, something much deeper feels remorse.
"Do museums usually want dangerous, live magical artifacts just laying around? Wouldn't it keep getting broken into like the Blakros Museum?"
Shall we get a coach? Horses? Walking? Let’s get a move on...”
Each of those sounded quite exciting to her as she never had the coin to be able to afford any of those. "I would rather not...walk."