The Savage Tide III: Tides of Dread [IC]

[Swami Monsoon]

"I can make an illusion that looks and sounds right. But some things I can't imitate. Like scent... and lots of predators use that to identify prey. It might be more convincing if we could place it downwind, but the weather and the layout there might not let us do that..."

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie Tepes to Tom and all “illusion is good. If we can find a recently deceased prey animal in the tar, to bolster the illusion, even better.
How does this sound: We move to the pits under cover of darkness, Vona makes her platform. (I have more questions about what and how you can make matter from thin air that I would like to talk to you about later.) We hide nearby and Tom does his thing. The Tyrannosaurus comes to check the ruckus, moves in to feed, Vona dissolves the platform. Big lizard is stuck in the tar. Cheers for the intrepid adventures!”

[bcool999]

Corrin listens in on all the planning mentally before casting an illusion to write, "I can help with illusions if they are visual ones, and I can help with making a platform over the tar, but I would caution against relying too much on the tar to hold it. It has chosen the tar pit to be it's hunting ground, and it sounds like a creature of remarkable size and strength. The tar might only serve to slow and not stop it, but it would still give us a chance to unleash our most powerful magics on it. I say we do what we can, and let fate decide the rest."

[BuckGodot]

Skald nods his agreement and tepes: "Better plan."

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie Tepes: “Vona. Sorry we cannot have a private conversation when we are communicating this way, but I was curious about your abilities. You said you could create a platform across the tar pit. How do you accomplish that? How long does it last? How much does it weigh and support? What will keep it from sinking into the tar? Ah...sorry.”

[digiman619]

Vona does some quick calculations, "Filius canus." she teped, swearing in Draconic. She buried her face in her palm for a second before continuing. "Sorry. I just feel like an idiot for forgetting something that obvious. I could make a slab of stone that's over a half an acre, but it'll only be about an inch thick. In order to actually support the beast's weight, it'd have to be at least a foot thick, maybe a foot and a half, so it would only be roughly 45 x 45; 38x38 if I have to go to thicker. Either way, that's not long enough to support on either side of the pit, so it'd sink in just as easily." She sighed before continuing "So the Operation 'Unmake The Floor' isn't gonna work."

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie looks thoughtful and Tepes “Ahhh , I see. Could you make pylons to sink into the tar to act as supports for a platform? We could use tree trunks instead. I could get them to the pit but I don’t know how to set them out in the tar and down.”

[digiman619]

"Oh, I can do that no problem. I just won't be able to dispel them as I'd have to fortify their matrices via infusion of PME and then they'd last about 6 hours. Once their matrices have bee set I can't modify them anymore, at least not to that degree."

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie Tepes :“If we can go deep enough, the pylons can support a temporary platform. I fear, however that when a creature that large steps onto it, it will sink some and frighten it off. If it is not starving it may choose to find an easier meal. I think we are just going to have to find it and then improvise a plan. ...and try not to die”

[lostsole31]

Rabbi Cohen has been "listening" to the telepathic conversation without interrupting the free flow of ideas. After all, not only is Moradin the Dwarffather, but he is even worshipped outside of the realm of dwarves by many humans and others as a patron god of strategy. He finally cuts in seeing that the conversation has gotten to a bit of an impasse.

Spoiler: Rabbi Cohen >>> Double Collective

Show

"Okay, then.

"First, the Olmans do not know how to draw maps, key them, or even understand them. So trying to ask them to draw detailed maps of the area won't be helpful.

"Second, Skald can do a high aerial reconnaissance to see where the canopy opens some for tar pits, but this will only give us a general idea of field.

"Waiting for its primary activity time - twilight or even night - is foolish in the jungle. If we are going to meet it, let's meet it with as much sun as nature can afford us through the canopy. That way we don't fight at a disadvantage as a group, and nobody has to use conspicuous light sources that might warn the creature from farther off than we would like. We hold any vast planning efforts until then.

"Once we are in area, then we will find the best place to lay an ambush. If we are ambushed or met first, that is how it goes. If not, we will see what we have, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

"Any dissensions or final words before we turn in for the night?"

[digiman619]

Vona nods before tepeing back. "Yeah, the more I look at the logistics, the more the 'trap it in the tar pit' plan looks unfeasible." She then turns to Hoggie. "As an aside, I want to apologize. I was kinda rude with you earlier. I didn't know you had this song condition and thought you were trying to be wierd for some esopteric reason. I was rude, and for that I apologize."

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie looks at Vona briefly before focusing his gaze at a point above and to the right of her shoulder. His normally placid face contorts to look embarrassed before settling back to his normal.
He Tepes: “Thank you. It happens. I am grateful that although I have a disability, I can still communicate telepathically to open minded people. Your willingness to do so means a lot to me. I was getting tired of only talking to Rusty. No offense buddy! Let us get some sleep.”
Hoggie prepares for bed. He Tepes: “Vona? Can you create shackles that would lock the Tyrannosaurus in place...”

[Swami Monsoon]

"All that material you're talking about... those volumes sound like they would weigh... a whole lot. Like, what would that do to the beast if dropped from a great height? Or more practically, maybe you could rig some kind of deadfall..."

[Blackhawk101]

“I can lift about three or four adult men combined worth of weight at a time up into the trees where it could be secured. If Vona could make several heavy spiked cubes or giant caltrops or something , I could suspend them and rig them to fall with a trip or pull release....but the creature is so tall, we might not get much fall before contact. Err. ” TepesHoggie.

[digiman619]

Vona shakes her head. "The matrix can't function that far away, and even if I could; It doesn't coalesce fast enough; one slight movement would have them move out of it before it sets." She then gets an inquisitive look on her face "By the way, why do you look up over my shoulder? My eyes are down here."

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie Tepes:“Sorry. I never know which version of you I should be looking at when I speak. They shift so rapidly...”

[lostsole31]

Okay, so pre-fab units held in place for entrapment seems to be a bust.

Anything else?

[digiman619]

Hoggie Tepes:“Sorry. I never know which version of you I should be looking at when I speak. They shift so rapidly...”

Vona looked perplexed. "There's another of me? But more to the point, err on the side of lower next time, if you would."

[lostsole31]

"Interesting," says Rabbi Cohen. "Most women tell men to look up, but I guess this makes sense."

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie Tepes:“I will try to do as you ask. It is difficult. For me, it is like looking into a mirror if a mirror is also behind you; images multiply into infinity but constantly shifting. Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin into the future...”
Hoggie’s face creases into a frown of concentration before looking down at Vona. He grins before turning to stare at a spot above her Left shoulder.
“How’s that!?”

[digiman619]

Vona sighs. "It will have to do. I'd ask what the 'other mes' look like, but I doubt I'd get a satisfactory answer"

[lostsole31]

Seeing as the group has gone off topic, but really were more done with the topic than anything, Rabbi Cohen speaks up (with his mouth, not teping) ... "We'll spend the night in the hospitality of Tamaroa and in the morning, prepare. We will leave about two hours before the heat really sets in, just in case we get to the tar pits and we have a good chance of working once we see what we have. I doubt that a cold-blooded creature of that massive size is going to be roaming around, and we have the advantage of commune endure elements."

Any final parting notes, or ready to move forward?

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie is ready to turn in for the night.
“By the way, we have only had the Bat fight to really see what we all can do in a fight and this Tyrannosaurus is a whole other level. Once we find it, I can make you all faster and protect myself, but my damage output is on the low side. If we cannot trap it, what’s the plan?Tepes Hoggie.

[lostsole31]

Rabbi Cohen looks at this hammer. "Blunt force trauma and fire from me."

[digiman619]

Vona raises her F.I.S.T. ""I can do moderate damage from decent range. I can increase the flow for a more energetic blast if need be, but it gets twitchy if I overclock it like that."

[BuckGodot]

Skald raises his bow... "I can do fair amounts of damage from range with this."

[Swami Monsoon]

"If illusions don't work... ice and cold, mainly. I've found that reptiles don't enjoy that much..."

[bcool999]

Corrin let's his illusions speak for him, "I fight best out of sight. I use magic to exploit weaknesses. Call it cowardly if you wish, but I would much rather have the enemy not know what killed them."

[lostsole31]

DAY 14

The next morning, Rabbi Cohen awakens his "troops" in preparation for battle with the mythical beast Temauhti-Tecuani.

The heroes conduct their morning rituals ... prayers, meditations, studies, veilshaping, etc.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Please let me know if you plan to change anything about your daily setup. Please do not make the change yourself.
Hoggie: Cognatogen?
Skald: Prepared spells?
Vona: Veils and essentia?

[Blackhawk101]

Hoggie prepares a bracing concoction to boost his intellect and swaps out his super cool dragon tooth necklace for his old lucky one.

Spoiler

Show

lesser talisman of good fortune

That taken care of, he uses his wand of endure elements on any willing takers to ease the load on the spell casters.