Rangers of the Green Guard IC thread

[Feathersnow]

The man at the center of the campfire reverts to his humanoid shape. The fact that he has the most Sidhe blood of anyone you have ever met is terrifyingly clear. Clear because he is ancient without being old.

Listen, new bloods. Before society, the First Saint took the blood of the greatest spirit, and forged a bond, that the people could live in peace. Now you are part of that bond. Soon, you will sleep. When you awake, if you awake, you will be in the form the spirits have chosen for you. When you do, it will be night, and we will take hunting, that you may learn more of your blessing.

Just as the elf said, you feel sick, and are ready to pass out. When wake up, it is twilight, and you don't have the same number of legs.

[tonberryking]

Though often judged by her size to be a young girl in costume rather than the truly pugnacious warrior Juno really is, she attempts vainly to ward off the sluggish, drowsy effects after taking her bloody drink. To her credit, she gives the leader a decent hundred-yard stare, and neither wobbles nor even shakes as he explains what is to happen. Only after he finishes, three breathes later, does her resolve melt in the calm before transformation and she crumples, face first, into the loam with a dull, wet slap.

Her first coherent thought, many hours later, is that she must have broken her nose, which feels ridiculously swollen. With a groan and a lumbering struggle, her attempts to feel her face end with a massive paw shoving up against a perfectly fine snout, fit for a bear. Her attempts to stand, couple with this shock, cause the massive grizzly that was once a slip of a ranger to crash into the ground yet again. It takes her a moment to sober up from this.

Eventually on all fours, Juno looks over herself intently, morbidly curious over how much more she weighs and has to carry now. No roar of exultation or fury escapes from her maw; after minutes of staring, she only grunts a few times..and that is that.

[TiaC]

Shane appears nervous and glances around at the others. He watches Juno fall and glances in a notebook before swallowing and reaching for the chalice. Looking down at her, he chooses to sit before drinking. He drinks and passes the chalice on, then blinks rapidly. He does not notice any symptoms other than a rapidly worsening feeling of drowsyness. His eyes drift closed and he slumps down to the ground.

Hours later he awakens 'I wonder if I will ever get used to this, should I even want to? It's a strange thing to feel another skin as your own, even though I have precious little of that showing.' Shaking his head to clear it, he easily stands in one smooth motion. He looks around at the others' difficulties and makes a small noise of amusement before offering a paw to help them up. He then looks around for their guide, whatever form he may 'were'.

[smashbro]

What a glorious day! Finally, I truly have found my true calling in life. Cruaver relished the taste, as if it was the first sensation he had felt in his entire life. As he drifted off into unconsciousness he wondered what his true form would be, when he woke up on the other side. He had moved so that he would not fall on rocks; he did not want his new form to be bloodied from something as insignificant as hitting a rock.


As Cruaver wakes up, he makes as loud a sound as he can, though it is a sound that he would call intimidating. He attempted to stand, and found himself on all fours, somehow this seemed natural to him in this form. As his legs unbent he felt that though they were not particularly bulky, the moved quickly to help him balance, which seemed like it may have improved with the change. His body was larger than he expected for the legs, and as he looked around, he felt the extra weight protruding from his head. Power and majesty. He was an elk.


My brothers and sisters, I am ready for the hunt!

[Feathersnow]

A giant bat swoops down and circles, beckoning you to follow. In your animal form, it is much easy to travel without a path, but it is more than that, your connection to the nature spirits is stronger. Soon, you smell something, with noses disturbingly keen. It is like the Drakkensted, but stronger, sharper, less earthy. You know instinctively that whatever left this spoor was a predator.

[tonberryking]

Easy being a relative term. Juno at first eschews Shane's help (partly out of pride, partly because the bear doesn't immediately recognize what he turned into) until her first few attempts to pick up speed cause her to stumble into large surfaces. Afterwards, she's a bit more receptive... but only just.

As it turns out, bears do actually have speed underneath their mass, but getting them to start and stop is a bit of a trick, momentum being her newest foe to overcome, her lumbering form betraying her in such ways as they tromp off into the night. The newly christened bear finds walking on four legs to her liking, though she occasionally has to be prodded back onto the erratic trail as the urge to test her claws and get the sense of them slows her down even more than the new way of walking. Only when the sense of a new predator dawns on her does she slip back into her hard-ass mentality, the time to quietly marvel over.

"We in something's territory, or would this be our new problem?" she growls bluntly, pacing in circles.

[Feathersnow]

The bat hangs on a limb and makes squeaks, sounds that none the less make sense to you. MAgic, for you can hear only growls from your companions. "A great Frostwyrm laid an egg here, thinking it might grow and spread the tundra through its vile aura, then grow to rule over the realm. Men, even spirits, can do little against an elder wyrm, but we can slay its spawn before it grows."

[smashbro]

On the walk over, Cruaver ignored any awkwardness that came from adjusting to this new form, being able to recover quickly on his four legs. As they walk, Cruaver's pace helped him eventually overtake the others.

After they arrive, Cruaver listens to the bat's words. "Then I say, for the good of all, we eliminate this threat!"

[TiaC]

On the first part of the journey, Shane springs into the air to join their guide, soaring and diving as the mood takes him.

Upon hearing their mission, Shane smiles, revealing a large number of teeth. He stretches and hisses, then turns back to the trail and looks expectantly at the others. When they return to the trail, he begins to prowl along the tracks. He seems to be enjoying himself.

Survival to track by scent: [roll0]

[tonberryking]

Sitting on her haunches, Juno seems more concerned with something else. She glances towards the bleating elk, then a beat later the hissing drakkensteed (naware that he wasn't actually saying anything.) In what surely sounds like a series of grunts and growls to everyone else, the giant bat is asked a question:

"Sounds fine by me, but we're not going to be very coordinated if we can't understand each other. Will part of our test be able to kill the best without talking among ourselves?" she doesn't sound like a very smart-ass bear, by the way, her question is in earnest.


Survival check with scent to help hunt down the beast.

[roll0]

[Feathersnow]

Part of your test will be learning to coordinate your battle, but I can relay messages until you learn to control your shape.

[tonberryking]

"Tell the drakkensteed to keep to the air and keep quiet unless he spots it..." Juno waves her paw towards Cruaver over. "And this elk... I'm not gonna force anybody to be the bait, but a bear and a drakken are going to be seen as dangerous threats. If it sees us coming we'll have that much more trouble."

[Feathersnow]

The bat relays the message. Any replies?

[TiaC]

Shane raises a brow, "I'd have a hard time following the scent from the air, so I think I'll stay down here."

"If needed, I can speak to any animal for a few minutes a few times per day."

He realizes that if they are going to be working together in the long-term, they should sit down and work out some methods of communication.

[Feathersnow]

tonyberryking, your survival check indicates the direction of the dragon, you look in that area towards a clearing that seems to be artificially expanded, with the brush wilting and unhealthy, as though it were fall there, though it is high summer. what is either a lonely, out of place hill or a overgrown barrow mound seems to gently rise near the center.

[smashbro]

Cruaver nods when the message is relayed. Even though he knows they cannot understand him, he says, "I would most certainly be best for the job. Lead the way!" He bows his head to indicate that someone should lead the way.

[TiaC]

Shane inhales, has the beast passed this way recently?

If so:
As we approach the lair, Shane uses his Speak With Animals SLA. "Are you ready for this? It looks like we've caught it in its lair. Make any last-minute preparations you need. Once we are ready, we can advance."

[tonberryking]

The bear gives Shane an utterly withering glare. "You could do that this entire time?!" her growl doesn't rise very much but it's nonetheless disturbing.

"Anyway, let's keep this simple. I'd bet the ability to turn back into a human that the hillock ahead is where the monster is. You fly up out of sight, but first find me something I can fit behind. Tell the elk to prance around to get it's attention, lead back to me, and then we strike. Hard, fast and deadly before it gets its bearings. We clear?"

[TiaC]

"It will only last a few minutes, so I chose to save it for the important things." Shane relays the plan to the others and then positions himself for a dive on the entrance to the cave. As the Elk moves into position, he spends a PP to summon a Tempestan.

[Feathersnow]

As the elk saunters up near the barrow, a rumble comes from the ground, and a chill breeze blows. A White Dragon climbs out of a cave in the barrow and takes wing.

roll initiative

[roll0]

[TiaC]

Initiative: [roll0]

How big is the dragon?

[Feathersnow]

The dragon is bigger than a large man, and glistening white. It shrieks in anticipatory glee before it spots the ambush.

[smashbro]

Initiative: 1d20+3

[smashbro]

Initiative: [roll0]


Sorry, had spaces between the numbers in the first try.

Whelp, that happened.

[TiaC]

As soon as the dragon becomes visible, the Tempestan fires a small bolt of lightning at it.
[roll0] ranged touch.
Damage:[roll1]

Shane dives, barely behind the bolt as he reaches the dragon.
[roll2] ranged touch.
Damage:[roll3]+1 fire

He levels out just above the dragon after his attack. "Press the attack! We must not allow it to escape!"

[Feathersnow]

The dragon tries to roll, climb, and intercept you all at once, all while blasting you with its breath weapon. roll reflex (shane only)

breath weapon: [roll0]

the dragon's fly check [roll1]

[TiaC]

Reflex:[roll0]

And for the Tempestan if its in the area: [roll1]

Did my attacks hit?

[Feathersnow]

both attacks hit, and you evade the dragon's clutches.

[tonberryking]

Throwing her massive bulk into a charge, bellowing a guttural cry that suits her just fine, Juno doesn't care at all if she crashes hard into the white wyrm.

In fact, she does slam into it pretty damn hard, snapping her jaws at it's throat.


Charge, and then a +3 power attack!

[roll0]
[roll1]

Damage: [roll2]

Her AC is 24 until her next turn.

[Feathersnow]

You hit the dragon, but it ignores you, focusing on the flying fire-user.
I told you your attack hit, thisisacat, I was waiting on smashbro.

[smashbro]

If I can get to a position to attack the dragon, I will run over and attempt to attack it.


Attack Roll: [roll0]


Damage roll: [roll1]



If I wouldn't be able to make it to the dragon to attack, I call out to it and try to get its attention away from the others.

[Feathersnow]

The dragon, realizing it is at a disadvantage dog fighting, begins to dive at you!

This will take its next move action, so begin round two actions.

[TiaC]

Shane and his summon will continue their attack.
Energy Ray:
[roll0] ranged touch.
Damage:[roll1]
Bite:
[roll2]
Damage:[roll3]+1 fire

Be aware that only one point of damage is fire. Also, I assume I passed reflex and only took 8 damage? I place myself above it so as to get an attack of opportunity when it moves.

[Feathersnow]

The dragon takes the tempestan's hit angrily.

[tonberryking]

It's generally a mistake to ignore a bear in your midst, as Juno demonstrates with a mean couple of hooks. Standing on her hide legs and still bellowing a storm of angry bear-ness, she not only attempts to cuff the dragon soundly, she ain't letting go of it, either should she get a hold...


Attacking to initiate a grapple, which does not net the dragon an AoO because of the bear's improved grab ability. Melee touch attack:

[roll0]
[roll1]
+4 to each attempt, as she is Large

Damage on case of a success:
[roll2]
(I am not sure if she can deal non-lethal damage since bears have frikkin' claws instead of hands, but someone correct me on this for future rounds)

[Feathersnow]

Incredibly, the dragon is your size and actually weaker, a fact that annoys it greatly. You snap it out of the air as it makes a shallow dive at the elk, and grab and grapple its sinuous body.

[Feathersnow]

The dragon attacks you with its natural weapons while grappling

Bite
[roll0]
if successful [roll1]

claws
[roll2]
if successful [roll3]

[roll4]
if successful [roll5]

Wings
[roll6]
if successful [roll7]

[roll8]
if successful [roll9]

Tail
[roll10]
if successful [roll11]

[Feathersnow]

It crit fails to bite you. This manifests in you getting a free attack, that I will roll, that, in addition to its other effects, dislocates its jaw.

[roll0]

[tonberryking]

(I'm pretty sure that should be a d20, not a d8. But dang. Only one of those hit me.)

[Feathersnow]

I was rolling damage, it autohit, as it was the result of a crit fail. wow, yeah, the dragon's rolls were awful.

[tonberryking]

How bad is it looking, by the way? At this point, it may be best if I just keep it grappled and let the others hit it if they can, since I hope this makes it alot harder for the bastard to breath weapon us.

[Feathersnow]

The dragon has clearly taken some damage, is bleeding and scorched, but has a fair amount of life left in him.

[TiaC]

Shane keeps up his attack and tells the tempestan to charge.
Bite: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] +1 fire


Tempestan slam: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Feathersnow]

You take a big bite out of its tail. The dragon is really angry now, but it can't break the grapple to deal with you.

[smashbro]

I might as well attack again.


Attack Roll: [roll0]


Damage roll: [roll1]

[Feathersnow]

You miss, but the dragon is too bogged down to do anything about it.

[tonberryking]

Mostly because of how badly Juno is tearing into it. Refusing to let go, the ursine grasps with both claw and fang as she pins the dragon with her weight to the earthen floor.


Continuing the grapple:
[roll0]


Attacks/Damages:
Claws:
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

Damages:

[roll6]

Bite:
[roll7]
Damages[roll8]
[roll]1d20+

[Feathersnow]

The dragon lets loose with his icy breath!
[roll0]
Smashbro, roll reflex; Juno takes full unless he disengages the grapple.

[smashbro]

Reflex Save:

[roll0]

[tonberryking]

I'll take the damage, not gonna break the grapple.

[TiaC]

I'll smack him around a bit more.
Bite: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] +1 fire


Tempestan slam: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Feathersnow]

The Dragon had hoped it could get away. It's nearly dead now and can't break the bear's angry hug!

[smashbro]

Attacking once more


Attack: [roll0]


Damage: [roll1]

[Feathersnow]

The dragon seems irratated, even though you miss. The foul creature is on death's door!