Ghostfoot's Savage Tide (IC) Pt 2

[DrK]

Connaught

Connaught ducks, axe weaving but is unable to prevent the impact of the tentacles smashing into his chest. Only Arete's bindings preventing previous injury. Beside his allies he grins, "This is no hydra, no caves of infected mutants, we have struck down bigger beasts than this."

He chops again and again trying to chop through the tentacles. Activating bracers to give him Sif's quickstriking power

Spoiler: Connaught

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Swift: activate quick strike bracers
Atk (PA4): (1d20+11)[22] dam (1d8+18)[19]
Atk (PA4): (1d20+11)[30] dam (1d8+18)[26]
(Heal 1/hit)

Hps 39/44
Saves 8/3/5 (+4 will)
AC 16 (6arm) +2 barkskin = 18
Rage 1/1
Pact: +2 hit
Vestige: Arete (+4 to Will saves, DR 5/-)
AP's: 0!!

Effects: Bull strength (5 mins), Bears Endurance (3mins), BarkSkin (3 mins), Inspire Courage +3

[redzimmer]

Malmir

Malmir again tries to focus his mind.

Spoiler: Failure to Concentrate correctly

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[roll]1d20+2[/roll

He fails miserably. Instead he draws healing energies from his belt to pass onto Connaught.

[Ghostfoot]

A blast of Lora's draconic breath washes over the abomination, slowing it momentarily. The massive scorpion snicks and scuttles trying to grab at the thing but managing only a glancing blow with its stinger for 3 damage. Tchinik steps in next to Connaught and Lirith, stabbing with his flaming rapier for 14 damage.

Connaught's axe flashes as he chops and hacks, his courage rewarded with two mighty blows for 14 & 21 damage even as Malmir supports him, healing his wounds leaving him strong again! Lirith smiles at his fearless courage. Not wanting to leave all the glory to him she continues to swing her falchion, striking for 6 damage.

The sargasso queen continues to flail and smash about the confined space, battering Connaught for 4 damage, Tchinik for 7 damage and Lirith 6 damage sending her sailing back to lie in a crumpled heap!

Spoiler: rolls & info

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Save vs Slow Fort DC16 (1d20+15)[29]

Lirith vs mother-of-all
falchion (1d20+9)[23] damage (2d4+6)[11] less DR

Mother-of-all:
Carried progeny (auto-attack adjacents)
slam vs Connaught (1d20+12)[27] damage (1d6+5)[9]
slam vs Lirith (1d20+12)[27] damage (1d6+5)[6]
slam vs Tchinik (1d20+12)[32] damage (1d6+5)[7]
slam vs Lora (1d20+12)[21] damage (1d6+5)[9]

Bite vs Lora (1d20+14)[20] damage (2d6+10)[15]

=> Party

[Cavir]

Lirith falls. Lora hopes her own draconic healing aura is enough to keep her alive until the group can finish off the beast. The scorpion continues its assault. The dragonborn exhales heavily and a sparkling orange flame takes a life of its own as it dances among the sargasso.

Spoiler: OOC

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Scorpion full attacks. Lora uses an AP on entangling breath. The DC should have been 18 last round thanks due to the boosted CON but it didn't matter. Shield Block is finally granted so will use that on someone that is going to get hit, Connaught first else Tchinik. The scorpion didn't attacked because of its reach right?

Entangling Fire Breath: 4d8 fire in half, then Reflex DC16 to half that again. (4d8)[21] Fire
Any taking damage are then entangled and take 1d8 fire damage for (1d4)[1] rounds.

Claw 1: (1d20+6)[7] (vs entangled?)
Damage: (1d6+4)[5]
On hit: grapple attempt: (1d20+11)[30] (size, bab, imp grapple)
Constrict: (1d6+4)[6]

Claw 2: (1d20+6)[16] (vs entangled?)
Damage: (1d6+4)[6]
On hit: grapple attempt: (1d20+11)[18] (size, bab, imp grapple)
Constrict: (1d6+4)[10]

Sting: (1d20+1)[20] (vs entangled?)
Damage: (1d6+2)[4]

Maneuvers:
1) Crusader’s Strike G
2) Foehammer G
3) Shield Block G
4) Tactical Strike G
5) Charging Minotaur G
Next round: (1d5)[1], (1d4)[3]
AC 22
HP 64/64

Enduring Exposure
Iron Guard’s Glare
Aura Vigor
Potion: Shield of Faith +2
Bear's Endurance +4 CON
AC 22
HP 64/64

[razorback]

Tchinik contiues to sing his battle hymm as he takes the blow square in his side, almost causing him to crumble. He recovers himself as he lashes out at the creature

Spoiler

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Tchinik
AC ~17; Current ~ 15
HP ~ 52; Current ~45
AP ~ 7 ; Current ~ 7
Spells: 0[3]~ 1st[3]~ 2nd[1]~
Bardic Music (7) ~ x

(1d20+11)[12] with Leading the Attack

Damage
(1d6+6)[8] + (1d6)[3] (Punishing Stance)

Crit 18-20/x2
(1d20+11)[31]
(1d6+6)[7] +1 Fire

Effects~
Inspire Courage = +3 to hit and damage
Punishing Stance: -2 to AC and +1d6 damage
Steel Wind: O
Sapphire Nightmare Blade: O
Leading the Attack: X
Mountain Hammer: X

Least Armor Crystal of Arrow Deflection - +2 bonus to AC against ranged attacks.
Least Armor Crystal of Acid Protection - Resistance 5 against acid damage, up to 25 points per day.

[redzimmer]

Malmir

With a press of his belt button, Malmir lets divine energy flow into Lirith.

Spoiler: Heal Mage!

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(2d8)[10]

[DrK]

Connaught

the barbarian barely grunts as the tentacles and weird pulsing buboes slash and tear at him. Wading through the thick mass of vegatation he grins as he chops and hacks as he can feel the tide turning in favour of him and his comrades.

Spoiler: Connaught

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Atk (1d20+11)[24] Dam (1d8+18)[22]
(Heal 1/hit)

Hps 37/44
Saves 8/3/5 (+4 will)
AC 16 (6arm) +2 barkskin = 18
Rage 1/1
Pact: +2 hit
Vestige: Arete (+4 to Will saves, DR 5/-)
AP's: 0!!

Effects: Bull strength (5 mins), Bears Endurance (3mins), BarkSkin (3 mins), Inspire Courage +3

[Ghostfoot]

The fight is brutal, Lora's flaming dragonbreath coursing over the mother-of-all even as the scorpion snips and nicks at it inflicting a multitude of minor wounds. The massive heap of vegetation lashes about but Connaught seizes the opportunity jumping into its maw hacking about heedless of the danger. The weed-matron succumbs, ropy clumps of tendril-flesh flying free as the northerner dives deep, hacking it to oblivion as it shrieks and howls in alien tones.

A silent shudder courses out from the mother-of-all as the curse of the sargasso is finally lifted. All about you, you sense a feeling of relief and peace as the vine horrors are finally released and slump back into seaweed sludge. The victory over the curse is sweet, but tempered by the obvious fast degeneration of the sargasso island about you. The evil is bested, but the ship about you starts to break up with water coursing through as great clumps of seaweed break apart!

Spoiler: Party win!

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Updates to follow, but for now - VICTORY!!!

[Ghostfoot]

You dash from the depths of the ship as the Thunderer breaks apart, seawater crashing through as the rotted timbers finally yield. Of your companions Yamaszt and Sarbaz there is no sign, but the chaos of bested vine monsters indicates that they had fought well. Surely if anyone a water druid and a priest of a luck god would prevail here?

Emerging on to the deck you're confronted with a rapidly changing vista. Towers of seaweed collapse as the sargasso underneath shifts and starts to succumb. There are great creaks and crashes as long-held wrecks are finally released to slump to a watery resting place far below.

There's not much time! You dash from the ship (Lora flying above), hoping to make it to the Sea Wyvern in time. Alas you have gone not 100 yards before the sloshing sargasso finally fails and you find yourselves floundering in muck-filled seawater. Behind you there is one final crash as the Thunderer implodes in on itself sending a wave of debris and sludge washing over you Lirith, Tchinik & Malmir struggling not to be dragged down with it as Lora flys above and Connaught magically walks upon the surface.

Spoiler: swim checks

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Swim DC15
Tchinik (1d20+3)[12] nonlethal damage (1d6)[1]
Malmir (1d20+2)[10] nonlethal damage (1d6)[4]
Lirith (1d20+7)[25] nonlethal damage (1d6)[2]

The next few hours are a trial. Debris abounds and Connaught helps the two swimmers find sufficiently buoyant debris to cling to to stay afloat. Lora flys above, searching for the Sea Wyvern. The dissipating sargasso has changed the landscape and it is difficult to get bearings. Eventually she spies the vessel, safe, having broken free and made clear water some miles away. With Amella at the helm Lora leads the welcome ship toward the castaways, smashing through the remaining detritus to your location.

Exhausted, you're dragged aboard to a hero's welcome, a cheer going up from the crew and smiles all around. Even the wee gnome Urol content not to fuss too much over the lost flora.

It's only then, on the sun-drenched deck, that you realise what Malmir had been clinging to to stay afloat - a small treasure chest miraculously still watertight and who knows what it contains?!

Spoiler: Let's find out. Loot:

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• 1200gp
• 462pp
• 4 scrimshaw carvings each depicting one of the 4 seasons (250gp each)
• 4 matching golden goblets (100gp each)
• silver church candelabrum (350gp)
• bone scroll tube (arcane scrolls of hold monster & waves of fatigue)

[Cavir]

Lora cheered with the bravery and success of the party slaying the beast. Escaping the ship she used her sense of direction to point the others in the right direction. She took to the skies gaining altitude to try to find Yamaszt and Sarbaz. Even her draconic enhanced sight failed to find them. She knew saving those below had to come first and she turned towards where the Sea Wyvern should be.

------

Using the last reserves of her wings the dragonborn finally made it to the ship. Collapsed against the railing at the bow of the ship she guided the captain to the castaways. Lora was too exhausted to help them onto the ship. The crew cheered the victory. Lora let them have their time for joy but eventually called for silence. In memory of the fallen. After a time she stood and looked out along the horizon looking for signs of Yamaszt and Sarbaz, particularly the cleric she had fought alongside since Lora had begun this journey back against the mutants. Seeing none, she went below deck and fell asleep as she plopped face down into the hammock, wings dangling off either side.

[redzimmer]

Malmir

After returning to theWyvern, Malmir rummages through his belongings and comes across a potion of water breathing.

“Well. That would have come in handy. I need to itemize my gear better.”

[razorback]

Tchinik tries to help the others as he tries to stay afloat, not always successful, as they make their way against the tide. Swimming to avoid large chunks of former hulls, sharp and jagged, they swim for what seems like an eternity before the call is rung out. The group that had to trudge through the waters is plucked like nearly drowned rats, layed down on the deck to dry and catch their wind. He falls fast asleep on the deck, exhaustion washing away the last of his strength as realization that he was not to die this day.
Later, he wakes to his friends commenting on Malmir's good fortune. He wakes up in a haze, more glad to have not been drowned at the moment as he feels the ship moving on the waves.
"Well, friends, it would seem we have survived by the skin of our teeth again. " looking at the chest, he grins as says "It would seem the gods themselves have a plan for us and smiled upon us."

[DrK]

Connaught

The walk, swim, slog through the decaying and melting sargasso tea was taxing and exhausting but eventually they manage to reach the doughty Sea Wyvren and climb aboard. Exhausted, hotm, wet and grimy with salt soaked into them. Connaught offers a great hug and backs slaps to his friends. "Come, mead, ale, wine. We have wona great victory. We have lost friends but we can toast their walk to Thor's golden halls."

Collapsing in a heap he looks to the Captain and Amelia. "A nasty beast. Plants and weed were hard to hack through. But good money in the chest we found eh? We can buy drinks to honour the fallen.".

[Cavir]

Hours later Lora awakens and goes back on deck. She is still worn out with her wings folded in and obviously drooping but better than earlier. She learns of the Malmir's treasure chest and inspects its findings with a hint of draconic desire.

"Urol, next time you pray for lots of plants we get to feed you to them!" Lora quips with a toothy smile.

[Ghostfoot]

After several days of exhausted rest you waken and rise one afternoon to the sound of Connaught and Lirith deep in their cups, bawdy sea-shanties, battle chants and odes to the missing and fallen rousing the crew who all sing along. Everyone is in high spirits now, for are you not better than everything that the Great Sea has thrown at you?

Urol splutters and gasps in mock outrage at Lora's jibe as the crew laughs and Lirith entertains them with a display swordsmanship replaying the battles in exaggerated fashion. A few mismatched wrestling bouts ensue all in good humour.

A scowling Indo looks down from where he leans against a railing, a half full wine bottle in his hand "Aye the gods have a plan for you. Inevitable death. Just leave me out of it! Thunderstrike [his stallion] and I will be lucky to make it off this gods-cursed boat alive!"

As if to underline this point a cry echoes out from the cabin boy Tavey Nesk in the crow's nest - "Land ho!"

Spoiler: Spot checks

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Spot
Tchinik (1d20+1)[10]
Connaught (1d20-1)[16]
Lora (1d20+14)[34]
Malmir (1d20-2)[8]

Lora spots it first, a line of ragged, jungle-choked peaks loom on the horizon. "Charts!" order Captain Amella and a crewman races to grab them from below decks. After a few tense moments of analysis and cross-checking she says with a wry smile "We're here. We've done it. The Isle of Dread."



A huge cheer echoes about the Sea Wyvern as everyone welcomes the the imminent end of the epic voyage and the last brief leg of the journey down the coast of the island to the colony of Farshore.

[Cavir]

Lora the dragonborn cheers with the news. Her wings open and she is quickly up to the crows nest by the boy. "Good job Tavey!" She stands on a spar while holding the mast. "Any signs of the Blue Nixie or anyone ashore?" Her eyes lock onto the horizon, scanning land and sea for signs of life.

Spoiler: OOC

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+16 Spot, will just stay up there, enjoying the wind to her wings while focused on finding something out there.

[DrK]

Connaught

An arm draped around Lirith as he stands at the prow clutching a horn of ale in his other hand Connaught watches the distant island in the distance. An eye to the vast jungle covered mountains and the clouds. "What reckon you lassie? Adventure, death, or a wee bit of both. Ancestors be proud of us so far so I'm hoping that we'll be keeping ourselves alive and hale eh?"

Looking up at the flying cleric he bellows up to Lora, "Any sign of Lavinia or the Nixie up there Lora?". For the rest of the day he paces the deck like a caged animal, his axe hand fondled with even more fondness than Lirith.

[redzimmer]

Malmir

An Island?! Gods and Daemons, I wanted to get away from the sea!

Malmir had sunk into a deep funk over his time trapped on the Saragossa, and hoped these buccaneers and murderers would be his salvation. Now he was destined to spend his life on the water.

“Er... huzzah!”

[razorback]

Tchinik spends the next few days relaxing on deck, making jokes here in there, but mostly just absorbing the calm of the slowly rolling seas and warming sun.
He's brought out of his revelry at the sound of land sight. "Isle of Dread. I'm sure that's just a misunderstanding, right?" he says with a mockingly dumbed down face, to the humor of the others. "Perhaps Indo will show us a comical show of running from some terrifying baby turtles or such?"

[Ghostfoot]

[the retcon]

Your attention wanders to the two newcomers aboard the Sea Wyvern. The cursed sargasso had broken apart into many slimy clumps of rotting seaweed snagged with detritus and wrecked timbers from the many doomed vessels. It was only through dumb luck that Tavey had happen to spot more survivors drifting amid the morass as the Sea Wyvern surged through it.

Two men on a makeshift raft, clearly their chances on the open sea were next to hopeless. Captain Amella orders ropes lowered and the two clambered aboard, exhausted. One an armoured man of faith, a religious fighter. The other some sort of scholar-archer. Both of central/ southern extraction they have been recovering but now look prepared to introduce themselves...

[u-b]

"Thank you for saving us. Name's Elmes. Elmes Hayman. A servant of Tyr, as you can see, and maritime guard. With nothing left to guard, though, so I guess just heading back to inhabited lands by the way of whatever is your destination."

[DrK]

Connaught

Retcon

"Ho, more wrecked folk in the water!" Connaught had yelled as he'd been part of the gaggle of crew that had spotted the small raft. Helping pull them aboard he grins "Welcome aboard the Sea Wyvren. We are bound for adventure loot and plunder and you pair look like handy pair to be involved in that." he adds the last with a wary eye at their arms and armour.

--

Back on the prow

Connaught, an arm around Lirrith looks back at the crew. "So, waht adventures await eh?" he looks happy balnaced over thw water, before he goes below to wrestle once more with vestiges of the long dead gods.

Spoiler: OOC

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Successful bounds on - rolls were in the Age Worms OOC
Balam (1d20+11)[31] DC 25
Focalor (1d20+11)[26] DC 20

Vestige Pact: +2 to hit

[redzimmer]

Malmir

The half-elf watched the barbarian with much interest. Since he was given the Curse of Mask (as his teachers called it), where he could steal spells with a touch, he wondered if the abilities of a soulbinder could be similarly "borrowed."

You have to wonder what sort of maniac would willingly let dead souls invade his body... thank you, no!

[infomatic]

The second man, thin and bearded and bedraggled, hauls himself over the gunwale, pulling a rucksack and a quiver behind him before collapsing on the deck.

"Thank you all," he says, his throat dry, "and praised be … be …" his voice trails off, and his hand clutches at one of perhaps a half-dozen charms around his neck.

Elmes and he had managed to set up a desperate sail on the raft as the accursed Sargasso had broken up, and by a miracle caught a favorable wind, but for the life of him he couldn't remember who had sent it. He'd said an awful lot of prayers today. "… all the gods known and unknown," he finishes quickly. Hopefully that would cover it, he thought.

He looks up at his benefactors and clambers to his feet and bows. "Farid yn Balu el Tashar yi Saboa," he introduces himself, properly, using his father's, family and hometown name after his own, though anyone watching closely might see his face twist as he says, "Balu."

"I was seeking …" he starts again, and stops before asking. "You saw no other ships?" But at their silence he knew the answer. The Arnihb, and everyone on it, was surely gone.

[redzimmer]

Malmir

After greeting the fellow seaweed refugees, Malmir retreats to the small corner of the ship bequeathed to him.

During his ordeal he’d come to some understanding of arcane power that he could never achieve in a classroom. Though he’d deny it, danger proved a better crucible.

He had managed to scrounge a spellbook from one of the derelicts and now with his time not focused on avoiding grisly green death, he finally took time to study it.

[infomatic]

When the call of land came, Farid was seated on deck with Urol, the gnome gesticulating wildly as he told of the Sea Wyvern's adventures so far. He was fascinated by the tale of the Tamoachan ruins, and more than a little impressed at the notion the primitives of Maztica might have made it all this way so long ago, when the mighty fleets of Amn had discovered the isolated continent only recently. What gods had that mummified priest prayed to? And where did they go?

His face darkens at the Urol's offhand comment about the group's encounters with Crimson Fleet — the Kirmist, who had taken his sisters. Perhaps he would have chance to find another ship and catch up with them after they reached Farshore. He must inquire about what they others knew of these pirates …

"Land ho!"

Spoiler: ooc

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I don't think Urol was around for the mutant-pirates part, but I figured he'd at least of heard about the story, and he's the most kindred soul to Farid among the crew so it'd make sense for them to be chatting. Kirmist is bastardized old Persian for Crimson, btw.

[u-b]

"Adventure, huh? I have reported to the headquarters so they know what happened to their ship and that I'll be away for an indefinite amount of time, on a sort of unpaid leave, they say, because merchants. So can just as well join you while you are at it."

The rescued men turned out to be not particularly hungry or thirsty, because Elmes was providing both water and food, but Elmes in particular was tired of spending both days and nights in his full plate armor for the fear of surprise monster attacks. He spent the time onboard Sea Wyvewn with the armor comfortably stowed under the hammock, but was putting it on as soon as it become evident that the plan was to disembark at the island.

[Cavir]

Lora
(insert between waking and land being sighted)

Lora was already asleep when the pair were saved. The 6'4 part-dragon part-raptoran greeted the newcomers joyfully even in her slightly weakened state. "Welcome! More to fight the Good fight are always welcome. Allow me to grant you Bahamut's Blessings." Unless denied, she grants the same resistance to the natural elements and her own breath attack that she gives everyone on board at dawn and dusk. Knowing Lirith's proclivity for showing off, Lora calls out to her. Lirith hops onto the railing to be clear of any rigging. Lora lets loose with a blast of flame passing through her and out over the sea. She turns back to the newcomers. "You are now protected from my attacks like Lirith here is." Lora cheers Lirith's bravery.

[Ghostfoot]

The cries of celebration at the sight of distant land and the approaching end to your journey are short-lived at another cry from Tavey in the crow's nest "Storm astern!". Captain Amella squints at the roiling clouds on the opposite horizon "Aye a big one, and coming fast too."

The call goes out "all hands on deck!" and the crew busy themselves trying to urge the ship onward toward the distant shore and safe harbour before the ominous tempest strikes! From the grim set to the captain's face it is clear that the danger is real and the outlook by no means assured.

[Cavir]

"Anyone have wind magic to help us stay ahead of the storm? Captain, put me to work if it will help." Without being otherwise directed, Lora keeps to her post up high keeping her eyes fore looking for any rocks ahead.