Second Darkness [Shadow in the Sky] (IC)

[AggressiveBread]

Rod will cast tears to wine again on his remaining water to refresh the duration, before continuing west. Letting Apophis take the lead.

[lostsole31]

Apophis leads off, followed by Rod, Ozzy and Ginny, Sol with a sunrod, and Visto. Some 30' or so odd feet to the west, the passage turns sharply to the southwest. The party continues some 60' until this passageway opens up. The northern portion of this chamber has collapsed in a tumble of rubble and earth. The collapse partially obscures the chamber but does leave room to access the tunnel exiting to the south.

Then (at B9), the floor of the passage descends here in a series of gentle terraces. Ozzy figures that this passage passes directly under the mouth of the Velashu River and then rises into the rocky promontory upon which southwestern Riddleport was built. The rock here is extremely dense, preventing the passage from flooding, but nonetheless the constantly dripping water and puddles seem more prelavent here, gathering in 6-inch-deep pools in many places before draining into tiny cracks in the surrounding rock.

The passage heads northwest into a cavern. This cavern is bathed in a strange orangish-purple glow that seems to reduce visibility rather than increase it, and in fact, seems to inhibit other light sources as well. The glow comes from a number of large rock nodules placed at intervals about the room. The eastern portion of the chamber is occupied by a still, black pool whose surface reflects the strange light.

There appears to be a passage out of here to the northwest.

[AggressiveBread]

”Hey Sol, you have any idea what this is?” He gestures to the crystals and the black pool.

[lostsole31]

"Creepy, underground, orange-purple glowy, kills other glowies, crystals?" Sol asks. "Completely baffled."

Ozzy, you have some training and knowledge of darklands phenomena. Do you move forward to study the crystals?

Rod, you don't "know" about this stuff, per se, but you may have heard something to assist Ozzy. Do you move forward with him to study the crystals on the walls?

[AggressiveBread]

Rod will help investigate keeping Apophis close to him

[lostsole31]

Rod actually has good insights that Ozzy picks up on. "Many of the Darklands," he begins, "are exposed to radiations exuded by minerals and ores unknown on the surface. These particular glowing crystals are one such unusual mineral. Called caphorite, they had to have been brought up by somebody, likely to create a more homey environment, but these troglodytes we've been fighting seem like near-surface troglodytes, since our lights didn't seem to bother them, and the purpose of calphorite is to throw off and diminish both the vision and illumination common to those using what we surface folk call the 'visual light spectrum.' Luckily, it doesn't affect those of us with darkvision, which I think is the point. But, it does mean we depend more on darkvision than any normal visible light, such as what is streaming out of my eyeballs now."

Does the party want to mess with the water, or leave it well enough alone?

[AggressiveBread]

Rodriguez peers into the dark pool.”One of my waterskins is empty, do you think it’s safe to take some? I’ll just turn it to mead later anyway.”

[lostsole31]

"Better not," says Sol cautiously. "With the loss of Eric, I am worried that tarrying near any water's edge around here - especially when all I see in this light is a blackened surface - bodes ill."

[AggressiveBread]

”Well alright then.” Rodriguez is careful to give the pool a wide berth as he heads to the northwest passage.

[meemaas]

Visto is already keeping his distance from the water, and decides its time to urge the others to move forward. He definitely doesn't want to be anywhere near the water as is.

[lostsole31]

This cave is illuminated by strangly glowing crystals protruding from two stony outcroppings that rest on either side of a low natural shelf on the southern wall. This shelf has been converted into a bed of sorts, complete with a luxurious white fur blanket lying rumpled on it, a velvet pillow, and a platinum filigreed footchest. A pair of black boots rests beside the small ledge.

What do you do?

[AggressiveBread]

Rodriguez moves over to inspect the bed whistling a little to himself ”Damn this is nicer than what I sleep on.does anyone mind if I grab these for personal use?” he points to the blanket or pillow “I’m sure whoever owns them isn’t supposed to be down here anyway.” while he is by the bed he also tries to open the footchest

[lostsole31]

"Shouldn't we keep going to find its owner, or do we want to stomp around laden with treasure while working?" Sol asks.

[AggressiveBread]

Rodriguez groans and looks at the treasure one more time.”Fine but I’m coming back for it.” He starts moving toward the opening to the south.

[lostsole31]

Ozzy smiles and says, "Yes, we are."

The party exits a tight single file down a cramped, mostly natural crevasse underground, moving about 50' or so before Apophis yells out, "Contact! Ugly fatty!"

Begin Round One ...

R1T18: Ozzy, what do you do? What do you direct Ginny to do? Your bright light and darkvision see one of these things to the south!

[lostsole31]

R1T18: Ozzy gets right back into the same stance and moves forward 25' before juking east 5', calling out, "Contact with a second one of these ugly things. These look like dretches - bargain basement creatures from a nightmare world beyond our own."

Using his light-spear, he stabs his opponent in its thick, upper forearm (or foreleg?), doing 21. Ginny follows in and does a fancy attack, but can't get through the layers and layers of fat on the creature. "Hey, Ginny sees someone - not a 'fat monster' - to the southwest."

R1T17: There is a faint clicking sound, and something fast and unseen hits Ginny, and she falls to the ground, not moving. Of course, the rest of the party doesn't see this and Ozzy calls out worriedly, "Ginny's down!"

R1T16: Rodriguez, what do you do? What do you direct Apophis to do?

[AggressiveBread]

Once again, Rodriguez starts up his song. Filling the corridor with chants. Then he moves to try and engage the the nearest creature. He calls out,”C’mon tubby! Let’s dance!”

Spoiler: OOC

Show

SWA:he grabs his alcohol with his tail
SA: begin raging song (normal bonuses+spirit totem)
MA: he Moves 30 ft south, if he sees an enemy closer than red, he tries to get within 5ft to get the spirits in range.

[lostsole31]

R1T16: Once again, Rodriguez starts up his song. Filling the corridor with chants. Then he moves to try and engage the the nearest creature. He calls out,”C’mon tubby! Let’s dance!”

Heedless of the space needed for his polearm, he closes directly on the dretch at a standoff from Ozzy (Blue). A maenad screeches and goes through its stomach for 7 NE.

R1T15: Visto, what do you do?

[meemaas]

Visto turns to Ozzy. "Where is Ginny?" He waits for a confirmation, and if Ozzy can give it, he'll move to where he can see her and invoke his healing rain.

Spoiler

Show

If Ozzy can direct Visto to Ginny reasonably on Visto's initiative, he will take his actions immediately. If he needs to wait for Ozzy's turn, or Ozzy can't at all, Visto will Delay.

Nonaction: Generate 1TE and invest it into Soothing Rain.
Move action: Move towards Ginny, if possible, until he can see the fallen Raven.
Standard action: If he can move into a position where he can see Ginny and use Soothing Rain to heal her wounds.

Soothing Rain healing (4d6)[14]

Visto has a soft spot for birds. Enough said.

[lostsole31]

R1T15: Visto turns to Ozzy. "Where is Ginny?"

"Ginny's down!" calls Ozzy.

Visto, never very fast of foot, has to double move and adjust slightly to even get into the area where Ozzy's "spotlight" fully illuminates his fallen friend.

R1T10: Sol moves down until he can see what's going on. He concentrates, and forms a ball of fire in his hand.

R1T7: Suddenly, the entire area is engulfed in a thick, green, cloying fog that makes troglodyte stench seem like a welcome bathroom air freshener!

Visto and Rod, roll Fort saves. I will add in Rod's soothe syrup and rage-CON bonus.

[AggressiveBread]

Fort save vs stinking cloud: (1d20+13)[16]

[lostsole31]

R1T7 (Cont'd): Visto and Rod are able to ignore the smell, but there is still the fact of the thick, greenish-yellow cloud to contend with, including the inability of Rod to attack another of these fat-monsters that roll right up on him.

R1T6: Rod gets a sense from Apophis that he is not doing well, that he is backing out of the cloud because he can't breathe. You hear that he is trying to move out the way you came, but by the time he is done a short burst, he still finds himself in the green cloud.

R1T5: The first dretch that Rod had seen shifts position around him slightly. It claws him in the left shoulder for 2, misses wildly with the next claw, and its bite is stopped by Rod's armor.

End Round One, Begin Round 2 ...

R2T18: Ozzy calls out, "Get out of this cloud!"

He moves down next to Rod, but then sees the dretch that has since moved up. He changes his stance, as scent is a bad idea right now. He stabs Red through the lower left arm with his light-spear, but the fog cloud causes too much diffusion/ refraction and is useless in this environment.

R2T16: Rod, roll a Fort save again. Regardless of result, what do you intend to do? Both dretches are adjacent to you, so no guisarme attack. Do you maintain raging song?

Visto on deck, Sol in the hole ...

[AggressiveBread]

Rod takes a big swig from his waterskin, continuing his chant.”I’ve had hangovers worse than this! Give me a break! he calls to his allies.”Fall back out of the cloud. I’ll keep the song going but I can’t move as much!” He steps to the side of one of the dretches before casting a cone of shards in their direction.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Fort Save:(1d20+13)[17]
FA: maintain raging song
FA: 5ft step to the south west
MA: drink a serving of alcohol to save a round of rage(doesn’t provoke AOO
SA: cast chord of shards defensively in the direction of the 2 dretches.(DC 16 reflex save)
Concentration (1d20+10)[19]
Damage (2d6)[12]

[lostsole31]

R2T16: Rod takes a big swig from his waterskin, continuing his chant.”I’ve had hangovers worse than this! Give me a break!" he calls to his allies.”Fall back out of the cloud. I’ll keep the song going but I can’t move as much!” He steps to the side of one of the dretches before casting a cone of shards in their direction, doing 7 mod to both, which is enough to drop Blue. Still, though one fell, it is a bit annoying that their rolls of fat resist taking full damage.

R2T15: Visto, roll a Fort save. Barring a failure, what does he do, and how does he apportion his TE?

Sol on deck, Red in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Visto's, repressing the urge to hurl, starts to make his way out of the cloud. He knows he's of no use to heal injuries when he can't see, and he needs to take a moment in order to attempt to disperse the cloud with his power.

Spoiler

Show

Fort Save (1d20+12)[17]
Nonaction: Generate 1TE and invest it into The Uproar

Move action: Move back the way he came, hoping to get out of the cloud.
Standard action: Move a second time if he needs to in order to get out of the cloud.

[lostsole31]

R2T15: Visto, repressing the urge to hurl, starts to make his way out of the cloud. He knows he's of no use to heal injuries when he can't see, and he needs to take a moment in order to attempt to disperse the cloud with his power. He hustles, just barely clearing the cloud and a vomiting Apophis.

R2T10: Sol zooms past Visto, leaving plenty of room for others to go, if needed.

R2T7: Red sees Rodriguez swaying drunkenly, and it attacks him, biting him in the stomach for 3 and clawing him in the chest for 4.

R2T6: Apophis slither-stumbles out of the northern edge of the cloud.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T18: Ozzy takes the raging song, snarling and biting the dretch in the chest for 9 before sidestepping to the east. A maenad floating around him goes through the dretch for 14, disabling the thing.

R3T16: Rodriguez, Ozzy didn't leave, and in fact took your rage song to disable Red (who is still standing, though). Roll a Fort save. What do you do?

Visto on deck, Sol in the hole ...

[AggressiveBread]

Rodriguez continues his chant through the stench of the cloud, before preparing to fire another cone of shards if he sees anything comes close to him. Hoping the maenad finishes the disabled Dretch

Spoiler: OOC

Show

FA: maintain raging song MA: drink a serving of alcohol
SA: ready action to cast chord of shards if any enemies come into range other than the disabled Dretch.

[AggressiveBread]

Forgot to put my fort save in the last post

Spoiler: Fort save

Show

(1d20+13)[23]

[lostsole31]

R3T16: Rodriguez easily pushes past the annoyance of the smell and continues his chant through the stench of the cloud, before preparing to fire another cone of shards if he sees anything comes close to him. Hoping the maenad finishes the disabled Dretch, Rod finds that just as he holds himself at the ready, the maenads floating around him do not attack, either.

R3T15: Visto, you are outside of the cloud. What do you do?

Sol on deck, Red dretch in the hole ...

[meemaas]

Visto releases the energy of his Storm veil and reforms it into a new one, causing the air to pick up into the semblance of a wind, before drawing more of his Akashic power into it, causing the air to pick up speed, before putting it to bear on the cloud.

Spoiler

Show

Nonaction: Using the Stormweaving ability, Visto will release The Uproar, and reshape it into The Tempest veil. This burns the 1E currently invested in it.
Nonaction: Generate 1TE, and invest it into The Tempest, choosing to direct the wind away from the party (in case it matters).
Swift action: Reassign 1TE from Soothing Rain and into The Tempest
Standard action: Activate The Tempest and try to use it on the cloud.

This is an "I don't know what's going to happen" thing, so let's see how this works out.