Secret of mana IC thread

[kinem]

The glowing jack-o-lantern pumpkin caught Ken's interest, and he cast detect magic to help inspect it. "Probably not safe to eat."

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When the party comes to the clearing with the golems, Ken says "I don't know why they seem angry at us, but we might have to fight them."

Ken draws his sword and casts bladethirst and burning sword, causing to sword to become wreathed in blue flames.

[Toliudar]

Coney

Coney sized up their pair of opponents.

"Oh dear! I doubt that these will be so easy to avoid as a tree. But maybe I can keep a couple of them away from us for a while. Focus on the ones to the right, okay?"

Stepping back, Coney again brings in a bank of sticky fog that engulfs the pair of machines to the left.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move action: Move back to M20.
Standard action: Solid Fog, 20' radius centred on G6.

[WindStruck]

Larimar takes a moment to whisper the magic words to his bow, causing it to lose much of its luster. (gah, that action economy).

"So.. does anyone have any clue what these guys are doing here? Do you think they'd understand us?" Larimar asks.

[Alhallor]

Jahn strikes a cord and the weapons of the party are wrapped in flames.

The two left golems that are engulfed by the solid fog are doing something and it looks like one fist try's to burrow itself through the fog?

And the other two are pointing at Ken and Jahn and they're fists dislodge themselves and fly towards them, propelled by small fire explosions that seem to erupt from they're dislodgeg fists?!

Spoiler: Attack against Ken

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Attack roll: (1d20+12)[28]
Damage: (2d6+6)[15]

Spoiler: Attack against Jahn

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Attack roll: (1d20+12)[19]
Damage: (2d6+6)[17]

Spoiler: OOC

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+3d6 fire Damage for every weapon attack. Yes, the fists are separate targets that can be attacked.

Spoiler: New map

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Golems!

[Toliudar]

Coney

Seeing the pair of metal-fire-people shoot their hands right off toward the group caused Coney to blink. And then blink again.

"Huh! Never saw that before."

Perhaps it would be possible to melt their metal exterior, or at least warp it enough to make it hard for the to move. Coney decided that, in the absence of trees, it would be best to test this in the most destructive way possible, with a fireball. She lobs it at the two metal men to the right.

Spoiler: OOC

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Coney bounces another 10' south and 10' east, to P22.

Then unloads a fireball, positioned so that it includes the golems at M3 and P6, but hopefully is far enough off the ground not to start a forest fire. Reflex DC 19 for half, (9d6)[35] fire damage.

[Ridai]

"To my knowledge, they are mere automata. Perhaps abandoned by their handlers some measure of time ago and set to attack unfamiliar individuals."

Thaum has only seen the Altenan models, brought along by the witch soldiers, though it appears Valsena certainly appreciates delivering punches across a distance with extreme prejudice. With the fog placed, more time is bought for Thaum to bolster his allies. Water collects around one of his arms and he swipes it through the air in a wide arc, leading to a glittering rain of droplets, granting courage to the group.

Spoiler: Actions

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Thaum casts mass aid on the group. Everyone gains +2 morale on attack rolls and on fear saves, as well as (1d8+9)[11] THP, for 9 minutes.

Swift action casting close wounds on Ken, healing (1d4+27)[30] HP. Any excess becomes THP (does not stack with mass aid THP).

Spoiler: Group status

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Spells/Effects on group: recitation [except Thaum] (+3 luck to attacks/saves/AC), mass aid (+2 morale on attacks/fear saves), Dragonfire Inspiration (+3d6 fire damage to weapon attacks)

Coney: 0 damage, 11 THP
Jahn: 0 damage, 11 THP
Ken: 0 damage, 15 THP
Larimar: 0 damage, 11 THP
Thaum: 0 damage, 11 THP

[kinem]

"Ouch! I wonder if the fists fly back to them? Ah, thanks, Jahn" Ken says.

He swiftly concentrates on his blade magic then takes aim with his sword at the nearby fists, starting with the one that attacked him.

OOC:
Swift: Blademage's Edge
Attack [roll]1d20+23[/spoiler], damage (2d6+18)[25] + (4d6)[14] fire
Attack [roll]1d20+14[/spoiler], damage (2d6+9)[17] + (4d6)[7] fire

[kinem]

Attack (1d20+23)[42]
Attack (1d20+14)[16]

[WindStruck]

Larimar takes a few short steps northeast, giving him a clear shot on the east-most golem of the group and begins to rain hell onto it.

Spoiler: Hella buffed rapid shot

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attack: (1d20+19)[22]
damage: (1d6+4)[10] + (3d6)[12] fire

attack: (1d20+19)[38]
damage: (1d6+4)[8] + (3d6)[8] fire

attack: (1d20+14)[19]
damage: (1d6+4)[10] + (3d6)[11] fire

As an afterthought, he mutters to himself, Hope these guys aren't too hard to damage with wood arrows...

[Alhallor]

Ken's blade slices through the flying fist and he easily carves it in half. The Golem whose fist was destroyed seems to be doing not much, his two glowing eyes vary in size rapidly but doesn't seem to focus, even when getting hit by Coney's fireball.

The fist from the easternmost golem wanted to attack Ken this time, but get's interrupted by Jahn, even with arrows and burns, the golem still seems too stand and it closes the distance between the group further.

Spoiler: Larimar

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The arrows seem to have a somehow reduced effect but every one still damages the golem and the fire definitely damages it heavily.

One of the fists fly's out of the solid fog and homes in on Thaum.

Spoiler: Attack against Thaum

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Trying to get through Sanctuary: (1d20+4)[12]
Attack: (1d20+12)[20]
Damage: (2d6+6)[15]

Spoiler: Jahn's attack

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Attack: (1d20+20)[39] activated Snowflake wardance.
Damage: (1d8+4)[8] + Mountain hammer (2d6)[7] plus fire Damage (3d6)[10] ignores DR

Spoiler: Updated map

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More map

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* post roll count doesn't match database

[Toliudar]

Coney

Seeing one of the golems start to emerge from the fog, Coney risks burning off some of her own protection, and targets a second fireball such that it catches the two closest golem's in its explosion.

Spoiler: OOC

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Standard action: Fireball, centred between the golems at J10 and O11. Reflex DC 19 for half damage on (9d6)[33] fire damage.

[WindStruck]

With one golem down and incinerated, and another two golems obscured by fog, Larimar repositions just ahead of Jahn and fires an arrow at the golem way in the back.

Spoiler: fwoosh

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attack: (1d20+21)[26]

damage: (1d6+4)[9] + (3d6)[8] fire

[kinem]

Ken continues his tactic of fist-fighting ... using his sword!

OOC: 5' step towards the fist that attacked Thaum.
Swift: Blademage's Edge
Attack (1d20+23)[43], damage (2d6+18)[24] + (4d6)[9] fire
Attack (1d20+14)[25], damage (2d6+9)[16] + (4d6)[12] fire

[Alhallor]

Thanks to a lof of arrows and at least two fireballs, the easternmost golem falls down, some sparks fly out of it but then it lays still.

Ken slices through the golems fist and again, the golem which fist it belonged too (which can be made out through the fog.) Seems to be malfunctioning, eyes rapidly changing size, small sparks flying out of it. The last fist propels itself towards Coney this time.

Spoiler: Attack against Coney.

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Attack: (1d20+12)[16]
Damage: (2d6+6)[11]

The one golem that short-circuited before and is hit by Larimar's arrow still seems to operate highly irregular, he stretches out his one remaining arm and armstump and an electrical current shoots towards Larimar and Jahn. The golem itself is totally burned out by this massive electrical energy flowing through his body.

Spoiler: Electrical current, Jahn and Larimar

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Electrical Damage: (9d6)[33] Reflex save against 17 for half damage.

Jahn runs towards Coney and try's to get the fist away from her.

Spoiler: Jahns attack

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Attack: (1d20+20)[39]
(1d8+4)[5] + Viscious (2d6)[7]; + Fire (3d6)[15] + Divine Surge (8d8)[37] Backlash Damage (1d6)[5] Reflex save: (1d20+7)[13]

Spoiler: New Map

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Golems are great?

[Toliudar]

Coney

DISREGARD THIS ACTION.

Spoiler: OOC

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5' step south.
Standard: Cast Acid Splash on the fist attacking her.
Ranged Touch attack: (1d20+7)[14]
Acid Damage: (1d3)[3]

[WindStruck]

Well, Larimar wasn't expecting to become a fried fritter due to a golem burning itself out. He cries out in a comically undulating shriek, as his skeleton seems to flicker visibly inside himself momentarily and tufts of his hair catch on fire.

"Is- is that all you.. Oh, I guess it is. Nevermind.." He stumbles around a bit and fires at the other golem that was just peeking through the fog.

Spoiler: fwooshy fwosh

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attack1: (1d20+20)[27]
damage: (1d6+5)[9] + (3d6)[17] fire

attack2: (1d20+20)[29]
damage: (1d6+5)[8] + (3d6)[18] fire

attack3: (1d20+15)[25]
damage: (1d6+5)[11] + (3d6)[9] fire

[Toliudar]

Coney

As Jahn sweeps in to save her from the Fist Of Dooooom, Coney nods appreciatively.

"Nice work, sir!"

She raises her voice a bit to reach all of her colleagues.

"Gentlemen! I'm throwing one more fireball. It might dissolve the fog and free the golems."

Stepping around Jahn to get a clear shot, she does just that.

Spoiler: OOC

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Move to O18.
Standard action: fireball, trying to minimize the amount of ground that she hits with it, and aiming equidistant between the two remaining golems. Reflex DC 19 for half, (9d6)[25] fire damage.

[Ridai]

Just beside the fray, Thaum is a bastion of calm, one of the fists just stopping in front of the healer, thinking things over, and deciding to try and harass someone else.

"You are doing most excellent," he says as he keeps a watchful eye on the action. Larimar's injuries thankfully remain minor at the moment due to the excess life energy and his reflexes shielding him from the worst, but Jahn fairs a little worse. As Thaum sends a timely healing droplet of water to fall upon Jahn's head, there is a small Undine floating beside the healer's head, lounging in a beach chair, wearing sunglasses (moonglasses?) and sipping a colorful drink with a straw. She snips her fingers and points to the bard (as if to say "I got you") at the same time as Thaum's spell finishes, before going back to lounging in the moonlight.

Spoiler: Actions

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Thaum casts cure moderate wounds on Jahn, healing him for (2d8+32)[38] HP (excess becomes THP)

edit: Wanna know what's funny? Jahn losing 38 HP, then Thaum healing him exactly for that much, resetting him to the exact point where he started on.

Spoiler: Group status

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Spells/Effects on group: recitation [except Thaum] (+3 luck to attacks/saves/AC), mass aid (+2 morale on attacks/fear saves), Dragonfire Inspiration (+3d6 fire damage to weapon attacks)

Coney: 0 damage, 11 THP
Jahn: 0 damage, 11 THP
Ken: 0 damage, 15 THP
Larimar: 5 damage
Thaum: 0 damage, 11 THP

(I hope I didn't miss anything)

[kinem]

"I think these golems are starting to regret messing with us."

If he can still see an active golem - or failing that, an animated fist - within 60', Ken will throw his sword at it. The blade whirls around while moving in a straight line towards the construct. After possibly slashing the foe, it reappears in Ken's hand.

OOC: Swift: Blademage's Edge; then cast Whirling Blade
Attack (1d20+23)[34], damage (2d6+18)[28] + (4d6)[14] fire

[Alhallor]

With only two Golems remaining, the combined efforts of Larimar, Coney and Ken bring down the one that was ready to discharge another electrical blast and the last one is also quickly dispatched.

Thanks to Coney taking great care of not burning the ground, the giant insects quickly return when the mechanical men are dispatched and don't try to attack the party.

All four of the golems discharge a small-yellow glowing energy core (even the one that burned itself out.) Which thankfully don't explode.

Spoiler: OOC

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I spare you killing the last Golem. I'm sure if fire is focused on him, he wouldn't survive. The Energy core Count as magical material for item crafting that can be sold for 2500 Gold each OR consumed by every caster to raise the effective level of the next spell by 4. But you are not able to break caster Level Limits with this.

[Toliudar]

Coney

As the final golem discharges and goes still, Coney creeps forward cautiously towards them.

"Well. I've never seen the likes of those! Who do you think might have built them? They don't seem like the kind of thing that...grows up, if you know what I mean."

She begins a cautious examination of one of the golems.

[Ridai]

"Their presence does beg the question how they got here," Thaum answers, walking over to the fallen golems once they cease their sputtering and sparking. "Perhaps part of an old Valsenan expedition, their age and exposure to the elements explaining their diminished motorics. Or flawed replicas."

Drawing on what he remembers, Thaum gingerly pulls a core out of one of the golems. Turning it in his long fingers, he "hm"s to himself for a moment. "If these are indeed old automatons, their cores still do appear to hold significant amounts of mana, readily usable for channeling or infusion of items." The rest of the cores are collected for safekeeping, sending a quick spell to Larimar to get rid of his remaining scratches.

"Either way, it is better to have disposed of them. Automatons left to their own devices or with outdated commands are bound to cause grief sooner or later." Thaum looks to the others. "Shall we be on our way?"

Spoiler: Actions

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Thaum picks up the cores, sharing them as people want, and throws a cure minor wounds to Larimar to top him off.

[WindStruck]

"Well, yeah, I mean, they attacked us for no reason," Larimar says.

"You think these things have been out here for ages? Maybe just standing around? Hmm..."

He'll look for some tracks aside from the golems' most recent obvious movements when they would have started attacking.

Survival: (1d20+8)[14]

[Alhallor]

Larimar looks around the golems and can discern that they actually must have stayed there for some time. Before they moved some plants have try'd to climb them up and some flowers have grown around them (that were thankfully not destroyed by Coney's fireballs, only a little singed.)

Spoiler: Larimar

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You are not that accostumed to the plant growth here, but you think that these metal men must have stayed at this exact spot for at least months.

When you continue your march and get in a more light-forest section with a lot of underbrush.

Despite that you eat mile after mile and there seem to be no more unpleasant surprises for you. Just when you decide to rest, you hear a kinda familiar sound, when you investigate it, seems there's a small cockatrice (smaller then the ones that attacked you before) hanging in the air and struggling against it?

Spoiler: Larimar, Ridai, Ken, Coney

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That definitely seems to be a small cockatrice it squaacks and struggles through the air but it doesn't seem to move from his spot after all.

Spoiler: Ridai, Ken, Coney

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Away from the cockatrice there is a weird shimmer in the air, like the air itself seems to reflect some of the moonlight.

Spoiler: Ken

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The cockatrice is catched in a web and there are two giant spiders that lurk down upon it... And you.
Also this is your map. Infestation

Spoiler: Map for visualization

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A map

[Toliudar]

Coney

Drawing to a hat, Coney stops and looks quizzically at the cockatrice.

"With God as my witness, I thought that cockatrices couldn't fly."

[WindStruck]

"What the? The little thing is all alone.. is it stuck?"

Larimar steps a bit closer to the cockatrice and examines it. Perhaps it was on a strand of spider web or something...

spot: (1d20+10)[22]

He clucks between his teeth a little bit.

wild empathy: (1d20+4)[7]

[Ridai]

Thaum is quite ready for a night's rest, even as uneasy as those tend to be in this forest. The cockatrice sight does create no shortage of questions, however.

"A few stories of dubious validity allege they do indeed fly. If quite poorly," Thaum responds, looking closer at the shimmer. The beast clearly wanting to go places, but not getting anywhere. Reflections of moonlight around the cockatrice.

"Given our surroundings, precautions against an eventual sharp increase in invisible predators or monstrous spiders appear in order." A familiar spell is woven and sent out to his companions.

Spoiler: Actions

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Act surprised. It's recitation

[kinem]

Ken says "There are giant spiders; I see them up there.

I don't think we have to fight them. We seem far from any town, and cockatrices are dangerous too. If we give the web a wide berth, we can go around."

He points out the spiders.

[Alhallor]

The cockatrice stops struggling against the invisible force that holds him, when Larimar clucks at him and looks at him totally baffled and creaches/growls back at him.

Spoiler: Larimar

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When you get near the cockatrice, you see some very fine, very thin strands, like from a web, but obviously very sturdy, that are sticky enough to keep the little bird trapped, also:
A Very Rough Translation: WHAT, YOU CAN TALK?

When Ken points out the spiders, they shift around a bit and thanks to the movement they are seen by the rest of the party. The giant spiders seem to grow a bit and shoot some sticky web at Larimar and Ken.

Spoiler: Attack against Larimar

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Ranged touch attack: (1d20+9)[24] if hit you are entangeld (can't move as long as the net is on you). You can escape as a standard action with either a strength check against 20 or a escape artist check against 16.

Spoiler: Attack against Ken

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Ranged touch attack: (1d20+9)[26] if hit you are entangeld (can't move as long as the net is on you). You can escape as a standard action with either a strength check against 20 or a escape artist check against 16.

From behind you another huge spider emerges from a hatch in the Ground, try's to grab Coney and get back to her hatch.

Spoiler: Attack against Coney.

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Attack: (1d20+13)[26]
Damage: (2d6+6)[12]
If you are hit make a Fortitude save against 16 or suffer (1d8)[2] Strength Damage.
If you are hit the spider also try's to grapple you too. Opposed grapple check. (1d20+18)[37]
If the spider wins it try's to get you into his hatch but won't be able too this round.

Spoiler: New map and ooc

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Infestation.
I'll let Jahn act after you, because I figure he would try to hack some of you free. You are all not flat-flooted thanks to Ken's action and it's now your turn.

[Toliudar]

Coney

While just glancing up at the spiders that apparently had trapped the cockatrice, Coney felt a painful grab from behind. She barely manages a squeal as the massive spider lifts her into the air and starts to scuttle backwards.

Trying to focus her energy despite the desperate situation, Coney tries to focus on the space behind the trapdoor spider, imagining it all in flames. Sadly, that flame burst remains only in her mind, and no magical effect emerges.

Spoiler: OOC

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The attack and grapple definitely succeed.
Fort save vs poison: (1d20+12)[19]. If she fails, she regains 1 point of strength damage thanks to Naberius.

Trying to cast fireball, targeted to include the spider south of me, and ideally the lair that it just emerged from. Concentration DC 23 to get the spell off: (1d20+12)[21] Fire damage: (9d6)[31]