Strange Aeons 2: The Thrushmoor Terror [IC]

[lostsole31]

R4T21: Before taking a deep breath and rushing through the cloud hoping to reach free air at the other side, Maeni shouts out, "Does it means anything, Flair?"

R4T15: Brother Jaume staggers back to the cave mouth, coughing, and is visibly disabled!

R4T12: The woman with fire in the palm of her hand attacks Dorn. Maeni sees that while some unseen force tries to knock aside the flames she still touches Dorn in the side of the neck for 10 fire before she steps back.

R4T8: Dorn calls on Torag for His favor while recovering from his charge and stepping forward. His first strike hits her in the left shoulder for 17, then the upper left arm for 12. Then a short muttered prayer and he touches his neck, healing 6.

R4T7: Flair, your vision .... "turns on." However, there is a host of little bits of overlay information on the various things you see, but that information is almost too small to make sense of. Meanwhile, there are various little hash marks on the bottom and right side of your vision. At the bottom of your field of vision is a single black line, and in the same green lettering you saw before is a message (see Discord). Brother Jaume is standing right near you now, and he looks horrible, even if "unwounded." Jens is near you as well. You don't see Dorn or Maeni or the woman, but you hear fighting in the cavern up ahead. What do you do?

Jens on deck, Maeni in the hole ...

[digiman619]

"Cody?" Flair states in confusion. He was about to ask about what this all meant until he saw Jaume. He knelt next to him holding his hand out over him as worry crossed his face. He then turned to Jens. "Jens, the spores are attacking his immune system. Focus on that rather than wound mitigation!"

Spoiler: OOC

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MA: Kneel next to Jaume
IA: Use Milo's Lucky Break on Jaume, giving him +2 to his next save.

[bcool999]

Jens

Seeing Jaume about ready to die right before him, Jens grimaces and says while concentrating his mental powers, "If you want me to promise to stop using my powers on or near you you will need to promise to stop dying in front of me."

With that Jens attempts to bolster Jaume's immune an circulatory system to help push out the spores. He then moves next to the monk to try and begin rendering medical aid if able.

Spoiler: OOC

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Standard: Casting Animal Affinity on Jaume through the collective. Granting a +4 enhancement bonus to his Constitution score and thus a +2 to his fort saves.
Move action: Move to be adjacent of Jaume.

[lostsole31]

R4T7: "Cody?" Flair states in confusion. He was about to ask about what this all meant until he saw Jaume. He knelt next to him holding his hand out over him as worry crossed his face. He then turned to Jens. "Jens, the spores are attacking his immune system. Focus on that rather than wound mitigation!"

R4T6: Seeing Jaume about ready to die right before him, Jens grimaces and says while concentrating his mental powers, "If you want me to promise to stop using my powers on or near you you will need to promise to stop dying in front of me." Of course, in saying this, that diabolical little creature appears on Jens shoulder again and whispers infernal sweet nothing in his ear.

End Round 4, Begin Round 5 ...

R5T21: Maeni, what do you do?

Brother Jaume on deck (Fort save, and you can use Milo's lucky break for a +2 bonus), enemy woman in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

Hunched and wheezing, the beleaguered monk marshall’s his internal resources to repel the fungal invaders.

Spoiler

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[roll=fort save]1d20+2[/roll]

[Blackhawk101]

still wheezing, the balding monk tries again.

Spoiler: To save a life lived well

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fort save - (1d20+2)[22]

[silphael]

With quick arcane words, a layer of butter appears on the ground all around the creature, and Maeni moves around to take position to intercept.

"I'm here !"

Spoiler: OOC

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Casting grease, and moving around it to help flank later if needed.

[lostsole31]

R5T21: With quick arcane words, a layer of butter appears on the ground all around the creature, and Maeni moves around to take position to intercept. "I'm here!"

With incredible reflexes, the woman easily keeps her footing.

R5T15: Jens power must have helped, for hunched and wheezing, the beleaguered monk successfully marshals his internal resources to repel the fungal invaders. While there is a little more degradation in Brother Jaume's system, the cleric temporarily halts progression of the disease. Several seconds from now will be crucial in determining if his body relapses in giving in to the affliction or permanently fights it off.

R5T12: The woman carefully steps out of the area of grease, even using the momentum to not provoke from Dorn or Maeni as she does so. She then wields the gout of flame like a blade and scores a light on Maeni's lower left leg for 11 fire.

R5T8: Dorn advances on the woman. His warhammer mashes down on her left foot for 13 with a scream of pain from her. On the other hand, the brambles that surround her do a total of 7 mod to Dorn.

R5T7: Flair, the lucky break might have helped, but now that won't be available again for about nearly seconds.

Spoiler: Flair

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More of that green print on black background, but this time a whole host of printing, dropping off screen for something else while other things print happens in a succession to fast for you to mentally track, but usually with the format of "[XXX] Loading..." and "[XXX] Installing..."

What do you do?

Jens on deck, Maeni in the hole ...

[digiman619]

Flair looks over Jaume and bites his lip; he's done all he can to help right now and he can only look and (metaphorically) pray.

[bcool999]

Jens

Quickly examining Jaume, Jens mutters to himself while trying to think of ways to aid the friar, "Spores, entered through the respiratory system, obvious symptoms respiratory distress, bloodshot eyes... too quick acting to be disease. Okay, Jaume, we're going to get you through this. I need you to breath deeply as you can through the nose and then exhale from the mouth."

Spoiler: OOC

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Heal Check vs Poison DC to give Jaume a +4 bonus on his saves vs the poison: (1d20+12)[13]

[lostsole31]

R5T7: Flair looks over Jaume and bites his lip; he's done all he can to help right now and he can only look and (metaphorically) pray.

R5T6: Quickly examining Jaume, Jens mutters to himself while trying to think of ways to aid the friar, "Spores, entered through the respiratory system, obvious symptoms respiratory distress, bloodshot eyes... too quick-acting to be disease. Okay, Jaume, we're going to get you through this. I need you to breath deeply as you can through the nose and then exhale from the mouth."

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T21: Maeni, what do you do?

Brother Jaume on deck (and needs to make another saving throw), Enemy woman in the hole ...

[digiman619]

Flair nodded at Jens' words. "Exactly, get those spores out of your system. In through the nose, out through the mouth"

Spoiler: OOC

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Aid Another check. If the result of that Aid Another is 8 or 9, I will spend a point of inspiration on it. (1d20+7)[22] (1d6)[4]

[silphael]

With her claws out, Maeni tries to reciprocate after stepping to a more favorable position.

Spoiler: OOC

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5 foot step on the right down diagonal, getting my claws as a free action, and full attack with those.

(1d20+4)[10]
(1d4+2)[5]

(1d20+4)[23]
(1d4+2)[6]

[lostsole31]

R5T5: Flair nodded at Jens' words. "Exactly, get those spores out of your system. In through the nose, out through the mouth."

End Round 5, Begin Round 6 ...

R6T21: With her claws out, Maeni tries to reciprocate after stepping to a more favorable position. Her left claws score a deep gash in her haunch for 6. Maeni, likewise, takes 6 from the woman's bramble armor.

R6T15: Brother Jaume, your normal Fort save is in the dirt, but you do get a +4 bonus to your save due to Jens and Flair's help. Roll a Fort save ...

Enemy woman on deck, Dorn in the hole ...

[Blackhawk101]

BJ breathes as directed, coughing and wheezing. He gives a silent prayer to Ol’ One Eye for aid. He manages to croak out “Antitoxin....in my sack. He points to where he dropped the sack.

Spoiler: Prayer for the Dying

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although it was not specified, he would have dropped the bag at the start of combat in front of the cave.
He will Delay (if that can be done) to wait for the antitoxin before making the check.
fort save - (1d20+4)[23]plus 5 if given the antitoxin.

[lostsole31]

R6T15: BJ breathes as directed, coughing and wheezing. He gives a silent prayer to Ol’ One Eye for aid. He manages to croak out “Antitoxin....in my sack. He points to where he dropped the sack. And yet, it seems that whether it was his own force of will, the help of the medics, or Ol' One-Eye not wanting to lose a mighty servant, Brother Jaume finally overcomes the last of the poison in his system.

Spoiler: Brother Jaume

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All effects of the poison up to this point are still current. So, even though you have max hit points, you are "disabled" as if you had 0. You still are impaired and weakened with the massive hit to Fort saves, and you are fatigued.

R6T12: The woman casts a spell that Maeni realizes is druidic in nature the way she casts it (obscuring mist), and a thick cloud of mist billows out from her, obscuring all sight beyond 5'. She then withdraws such that Dorn cannot attack her. Maeni does get in a swipe, though, cutting her deep along the back of the left knee for 6, but Maeni takes 9 herself from the thorns of the woman. No matter, it was enough to drop her!

R6T8: There are paladins who serve gods whom, between the two of them, are paragons of redemption and mercy for the wicked. The kind of religious partnership of shining virtue that sees the very best even in the very worst.

Torag is not that god; and ever the good servant, Dorn is not that paladin.

He brings his hammer down on her for a killing blow, his smite ending when her life does as well, and he taking no damage from her thorns.

Combat Ends ...

The mist will remain for several annoying minutes.

[Blackhawk101]

Bj slumps down on the floor of the cave.
“I feel better. Just need a little rest...and I could really use a drink...”
with that said, his eyes close and he is soon snoring softly.

[bcool999]

Jens

Seeing that Jaume seems to have recovered somewhat, Jens goes to sigh but he suddenly takes a sharp intake of breath and shudders. A rush of power fills him as the reinforced connection to the cave woman snaps. Not wanting to waste this temporary resource, Jens asks over the collective,

Spoiler: Collective

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"Well so much for taking her alive for questioning. More importantly, is anyone in need of healing?"

[digiman619]

With the current issue resolved, Flair excuses himself and addresses his returning guest. "Okay, now that that's dealt with, Cody, nice to see you made it through. What's all this about?"

[lostsole31]

Jens will find out that Dorn and Maeni are wounded, Maeni appreciably so. What does he do?

[bcool999]

Jens

Spoiler: Collective

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"Healing on the way."

Jens warns over the collective before focusing his mental power. In two bursts he sends healing to Dorn and Maeni and then just Maeni.

Spoiler: OOC

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Over 2 rounds:
Natural Healing at 4 PP: 3 PP to heal 9 hp, 1 pp to have both Dorn and Maeni heal that much.
Natural Healing at 2 PP: Heal 6 HP directed to Maeni.

[lostsole31]

Does the party take a breather here to the dust literally settle, the mist to evaporate, and take stock of its situation? Assuming this is the case and you are showing care to Brother Jaume, it takes about a minute from the time of the last "dispersion" for the spores to settle out, and six minutes before the large cloud of mist in the other room goes away.

Dorn is almost fully healed. Maeni is at ~70%.

Spoiler: Flair

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The line of text shows: "It took me some time to adjust to the difference between here ...

"... and where we were in the Dimension of Dreams previously.

"Besides ...

"I was loading up a lot of [insert tech-babble that even with Flair's INT makes him roll his eyes upward].

"I am sure you have been noticing a lot of changes over the past few days, especially when you are in stress.

"Still a bit more to load, but my own protocols are fully formed now."

[digiman619]

Flair continues this apparently one-sized conversation. "Is there a way we can continue this conversation non-verbally? Back in Briarstone, you were a voice whispering in my ear and could only hear my words; like a gnat hovering over my shoulder. But now that you're text, I'm wondering if I can 'talk' to you without announcing it to the world."

[lostsole31]

Everyone hears what Flair said, but nobody is sure whom he is talking to...

[digiman619]

Unperturbed, Flair continues. "Well, we'll have to keep an eye out for ways around that. Can I at least get you to shut down if I need some privacy?"

Flair pinched his nose. "Noted. However, I would prefer it if I could get you to refrain from commentary if asked. But to more pressing matters; now that you're set up, what can you do in there?"

He then crosses his arms. "Give me a little credit. While I wasn't sure if you were directly responsible or if it was simply my psyche subsuming you, clearly it was due to your data dump." Lowering his arms, he continues. "But that doesn't answer the question. Now that you are fully cognizant and installed, what can I expect of you?"

Finally, Flair chuckles. "Very well. Anything else I should know before I get back to the rest of the party?"

Nodding, he walks back to the rest of the group. "Okay. A bit of explanation is in order. While we were in Briarstone, I was in intermittent contact with a being that called itself Cody Writer. He was a source of information, but his intermittent visits were due to him trying to stay away from some outside force. During our fight to get to Ulver, he contacted me to offer advice, but through whatever means he had access to me, he was trapped and was in the process of dying when I allowed him into my brain in order to save him. Apparently, it has taken until now for him to get back up to working order, and that's who I was conversing with."

He paused. "I am still reasonably certain that I am no more crazy than I was before this occurred, but if you think that this makes me unfit to be part of this party, I will stand down as soon as we return to the city."

[lostsole31]

So, what does the group do?

[bcool999]

Jens

Jens is silent for a for a while before sighing and giving Flair a medical exam. Should Flair cooperate, Jens tests his feeling in his extremities, ability to walk, and asks if Flair has any soreness or numbness. Should Flair exhibit none of these symptoms, Jens says, "For a while there I was wondering if you were having a stroke. Vision loss and mental confusion are a common symptom, but you aren't showing any other Neurological symptoms so the chances of stroke is low. Still don't know if you are off your rocker or not. As long as you can still tell right from wrong, and don't start developing any acute paranoia, I am willing to say you are fine health wise."

[Blackhawk101]

“Zzzzzz” says Brother Jaume.

[lostsole31]

Now what does the party do?

[bcool999]

Jens

Looking at the snoring Juame, Jens speaks over the collective,

Spoiler: Collective

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"So what do we do now? Jaume seems out of it for the day, but there may be more cave to explore? If we do sleep, I don't suppose anyone remembered rations, and I would also not wish for our ride back to town to leave us for dead if we plan to sleep."