Age of Giants- Live or Die Trying

[tonberryking]

"Someone grab a brand from the fire." Bushi suggests.

"Don't throw it at the brute but toss it onto the shore near the water; animals hate fire and it'll give us time to pack and it'll be less likely to come ashore. I'll watch it while you guys get ready..."

[Palanan]

“No fire,” Perriket countermands in an urgent whisper. “Bad enough we lit one—the last thing we need is to start throwing it around.

He’s already at the far edge of the firelight, eyes gleaming faintly within the gathering dark. “We need to leave—this instant.”

[DarkOne-Rob]

Brankahm looks at the two smaller allies with a sad expression. He doesn't move to engage the reptilian attacker, though, instead planning to give the creature a vote in whether or not they fight it. "I worry that all the effort spent on not dying has led to less real living too. Pack up if you must - I will guard your retreat..." he rumbles.

[Triskavanski]

Paronomasia AC: 18 | HP: 16 | Current: 16 Fortitude: +2 | Reflex: +6| Will: +3 | Perception: +4 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None.

"Continue the retreat, I'll distract.." He remarks moving forwards ahead of the group "How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!"

He recites poetry to the beast as he does a little dance. Doing his best to not be too terribly loud, but loud enough to fascinate the reptile.

Spoiler

Show

Bardic Performance - Fascinate
DC: Will save 13
Bardic Performance Rounds 7/8

[Farmerbink]

Brankahm eyes the reptile warily as Paranomasia strides forward, dancing and speaking in a terribly distracting (and a little confusing) manner. As the others begin stepping away (up-stream, to the north), it quickly becomes apparent that the Kobold has firmly commanded the attention of the crocodile. And- perhaps despite its nature, the beast simply stands in the shallows, close enough to be a threat, but seemingly content to simply watch the little bard's dance.

However, as you move away (for now following the edge of the riverbed, just below the horizon proper to those standing above), you see another pair of "logs" moving distinctly not quite with the current. Unlike their kin (now some 40' to the south), these two are focused on Bushi and Perriket near the front of the troupe, floating about 5 feet from the river's edge.

Here's a map

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Brankahm's Status, Round...1?

Show

Brankahm Runechanter
Male Lawful Good Dwarf Fighter (w/ 2 Archetypes), VMC Bard, Level 2, Init 2, HP 29/29, Speed 20 ft
AC 16, Touch 12, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 5, Ref 3, Will 2, CMB +5, Base Attack Bonus 2
MW Heavy Flail +6 (1d10+4, 19-20/x2)
MW Chain Shirt (+4 Armor, +2 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 11
Condition None

Brankahm looks around and sees the other crocodiles approaching, likely hunting the ratfolk and goblin. "Watch yourselves near the bank - this one isn't alone," he rumbles. "I think it best to kill them when they come up on land. Get back from the water at least, though..." he finishes as he steps forward to attack the first of the crocodiles, hoping to get a killing blow while it is fascinated...

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Based on the summary in Discord and description in the DM post, I think we need to kill one, at least, to run the others off. They're wild animals but not necessarily loud or stupid, so hopefully not suicidal.

Initiative: (1d20+2)[17]

Can't see the map, so move me to a position from which I can attack the fascinated crocodile and if it's killed move on to the others immediately thereafter, please. Once there, Brankahm will activate Power Attack and strike with his MW Heavy Flail: (1d20+5)[11] to hit, (1d20+5)[7] (19-20/x2), (1d10+7)[17] bludgeoning damage, (1d10+7)[13] critical strike damage.

As discussed in Discord, I don't think it's a good idea to start melee from this far away. Brankahm has a Pelletbow he would draw and ready instead. If the rest of the party is ready to fight he will fire (and miss, based on the d20 rolls above), but he still won't initiate combat unless some of the others are willing to fight too.

[tonberryking]

While Bushi wanted to just leave out of instinct and discretion, being pointed out that there are more alligators just frustrates the little barbarian and scuttles her desires to flee into the woods. This isn't going to be like warding away wild dogs or a particularly grumpy serpent, or even that mother badger that-- ...No, better not think about her and her no-good offspring. That's not a story to reminisce over right now. The point is, she rapidly reasons out, is that getting water in this neck of the woods is going to be all the more frustrating if she kowtows to these scaley bastards without a fuss.

It's not like they're wearing leather collars with big bloody bells that would alert giants to their presence, either...

"Aw to hell with this."

She technically says that in goblin, slowly, but her inflection is so clear anybody, even those who don't speak goblin can pretty much understand what she meant as she notches and pulls back on her bow.

Spoiler: OOC/rolls

Show

(1d20+5)[7] Initiative

I am going to hold my action and (ultimately) shoot at either Gator 2 or 3, whichever of them moves towards us first.

Spoiler: Gator Gigging attack roll

Show

(1d20+9)[21]
(1d4+1)[5]

[Athaleon]

"Thrashing and splashing, or fire, or magic, all will draw attention. If we aren't leaving right now, then make ready to make the fight quick at least."

Spoiler

Show

Initiative? (1d20)[18]
Urist moves towards Bushi and readies an action to cast Color Spray, provided he can catch at least two crocs without hitting an ally.

[Triskavanski]

Paronomasia AC: 18 | HP: 16 | Current: 16 Fortitude: +2 | Reflex: +6| Will: +3 | Perception: +4 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None.

The kobold had been expecting the others to retreat while he enraptured the other lizard with his exotic dance moves and poetry speaking. But they openly drew weapons, disrupting his groove, and ruining the magic of the bard's dance. Quickly he pulled back, pulling out his own pellet bow.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect.

IF I can get to level 8, we'll eventually be able to ignore this automatic breaking effect.


Move to W6 as movement action, draw weapon with swift action. Ready action to attack if the gators attack.

[Palanan]

Perriket, already on the outer fringes of the group and as far as possible from the water and the reptiles, takes this opportunity to melt into the shadows and vegetation.

Spoiler

Show

Stealth
(1d20+17)[26]

[Farmerbink]

The crocodiles seem content to pace you from the river's edge, though one of the northern two takes to the bank menacingly. "They're unlikely to attack outright," Franklin murmurs from the base of the short escarpment marking the river's narrow floodplain. As if on queue, another reptile takes to the shore, and the first begins hissing unnervingly. Bushi jumps, loosing an arrow (that strikes well), and Brankahm follows suit, though his goes wide. As if it's what they were waiting for, the crocodiles lunge.

Urist demonstrates uncanny prescience, placing himself close enough to draw the attention of one while angling to interfere with another. A blinding burst of colorful light erupts from his fingers as a pair of reptiles charges the shaman and his barbaric companion. Both reptiles snap lazily at nothing, apparently unable to see. The southernmost reptile manages to surprise Brankahm, however, dashing rapidly across the sandy banks and snapping his leg with a vise-like grip (Brankahm suffers 6 damage and becomes grappled).

Hells! Franklin exclaims, as surprised as anyone by the speed of the aquatic reptiles. He dashes to Brankahm's side, and strikes true with his rapier, though the crocodile doesn't seem to care yet. Heldrun likewise closes the gap, driving his Giant-sticker between the pair. Unfortunately, the narrow spacing complicates his attack, and he catches only sandy gravel with the spear's tip.

Map updated

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Brankahm's Status, Round 2

Show

Brankahm Runechanter
Male Lawful Good Dwarf Fighter (w/ 2 Archetypes), VMC Bard, Level 2, Init 2, HP 23/29, Speed 20 ft
AC 16, Touch 12, Flat-footed 14, CMD 17, Fort 5, Ref 3, Will 2, CMB +5, Base Attack Bonus 2
Spiked Gauntlet +2 (1d4+5, 20/x2) (+2 BAB, +3 STR, -2 Grappled, -1 Power Attack)
MW Chain Shirt (+4 Armor, +2 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 11
Condition Grappled
Power Attack

As he falls Brankahm drops his pelletbow and strikes at the aquatic reptile with his spiked gauntlet "Off me, get off!" he grunts as he keeps trying to land blows on the crocodile's snout.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Activate Power Attack and strike with his Spiked Gauntlet: (1d20+2)[15] to hit, (1d20+2)[22] (20/x2), (1d4+5)[7] piercing damage, (1d4+5)[8] critical strike damage.

If the crocodile let's him go he will use a move action to stand up and/or move away from the water, as long as it won't incur an AoO from the crocodile.

If an attacker incurs an AoO: Spiked Gauntlet, (1d20+2)[15] to hit, (1d20+2)[8] (20/x2), (1d4+5)[9] piercing damage, (1d4+5)[8] critical strike damage.

[Athaleon]

"They're blinded, but they'll recover 'fore long!" Urist informed the others before running to Brankahm's aid, his ornate hammer raised to strike.

Spoiler

Show

Urist moves to O26 to provide flanking, and attacks with his hammer.

(1d20+7)[15] To Hit
(1d8+3)[8] Damage

[Triskavanski]

Paronomasia AC: 18 | HP: 16 | Current: 16 Fortitude: +2 | Reflex: +6| Will: +3 | Perception: +4 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None.

"Well we're in a sticky situation.. But they more so!" he says casting glue seal on the one aligator closet to him.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

https://aonprd.com/SpellDisplay.aspx...me=Glue%20Seal

DC 13 reflex under A1

[tonberryking]

Bushi had hoped to save this for the giants, but the Gator to her right is too close for a bow and she doesn't want to risk hurting her allies by firing too closely at them.

She just drops her bow and lunges towards the alligator that she attacked (who then attacked Brankahm)darting in just as her eyes begin to glow, first gold and then the angry red of magma hot coals. Wait, her hands are empty, what exactly is she planning to fight the thing wi--

KRR-CHACK!!!

With an awful noise like steel slapping against bone, a pair of claws erupt from between the knuckles on each of her hands, oversized serrated things that she wastes no time raking across the gator's hide. Bushi doesn't howl, she doesn't bellow with a deafening roar but the growls her voice makes sound far more like a cornered wild-cat (or several wild-cats) than the salty goblin from before.

She goes for anything soft between joints or under the head.

Spoiler: OOC/rolls

Show

(1d20+10)[25] If I need this Acrobatics check, it's to get into flanking position against Alligator #2

Hits:
(1d20+12)[18]
(1d20+12)[19]

Damage:
(1d4+3)[6]
(1d4+3)[6]

[Palanan]

Perriket glowers at the unfolding chaos along the river’s edge. What should have been a simple, quiet slipping-away from trouble has instead become an uncoordinated and highly audible brawl.

He watches with distaste as the small, irritating monkey-creature extends claws, growls bestially and leaps at the nearest alligator. While Perriket would have preferred to aid Brankahm, he is much closer to the alligator now being scraped and snarled at by the monkey-creature. So he will gather himself, point his snout directly at the river-beast’s midsection, and let loose with a mighty shrill of sound that no one else will hear.

Spoiler

Show

Perriket is casting Ear-Piercing Scream at the nearest alligator (A3). Fort save DC 14 to avoid being dazed and taking half damage; otherwise dazed and taking full damage. After that, not moving from his spot, Perriket will hunker down and attempt to hide again.

Damage
[roll]1d6[roll]

Stealth
(1d20+17)[25]

[Palanan]

Spoiler: Trying Again

Show

Mistyped the code on the damage roll in my last post, so trying to roll for damage again:

Damage
(1d6)[5]

[Farmerbink]

The exploratory squad swarms the alligator attached to Brankahm's leg with savage efficacy. Franklin's rapier flashes out among Brankahm's spiked guantlet and Urist's hammer. As the remaining crocodiles struggle to overcome Urist's magic. Bushi begins the process of eviscerating one of the alligators, and is quickly joined by Heldrum and the others.

Very suddenly, what seemed like a potentially disastrous turn of events is over. The riverside cobbles, splattered with blood and viscera, make for uneasy footing, but the threat is over. Given the opportunity to inspect them more closely, you find that the reptiles are horribly thin- malnourished and underfed. Perhaps it explains their willingness to aggress against you.

For the moment, only your heavy breathing breaks the stillness of the late-summer night.

[DarkOne-Rob]

"Thank you, everyone. Now, let's find a place to hide, just in case something bigger heard us. If nothing comes this way soon, then we can make camp upstream a bit," says Brankahm as he recovers his equipment. He looks a bit sad at their attackers' corpses, though whether that is sad for the creatures dying or that they are too thin to make a good meal is impossible to tell. The dwarf then makes his way to cover and settles down to listen to the night sounds for warning of approaching giants...

[Palanan]

“Thank you,” Perriket says to Brankham, crisply and sincerely, if still in a cautious undertone. “That was far too much noise, we need to get well away from here. Quarter-mile at least, if not more.”

As he slips out of cover, intending to coax the others along, his curiosity turns his nose towards the alligators’ viscera for just a moment, scenting carefully to see if there’s any hint of something unnatural in the reptiles’ emaciated state.

Spoiler

Show

Perception
(1d20+9)[27]

[Triskavanski]

Paronomasia AC: 18 | HP: 16 | Current: 16 Fortitude: +2 | Reflex: +6| Will: +3 | Perception: +4 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None.

Quickly the kobold went about cleaning up the mess, making sure that any blood stains and the like where quickly cleaned off the floor and anyone who asked for it with a snap of his fingers and a bit of prestidigitation. A tidy operation was important to avoid illness and anything that could track them normally.

[Palanan]

Perriket is grudgingly impressed at the kobold’s efforts to prevent their being tracked; but he spares only a brief, curt nod before again urging the group to move along and find a new campsite, ideally a quarter-mile away at least.

[Farmerbink]

Paranomasia's arcane bent makes short work of the mess, though the corpses themselves prove impossible to "clean" by such means. Perriket confirms that there's enough meat for some decent eating, though it might take more work and time than desirable to extract it from the now-still reptilians ((let me know if you want to butcher any of them and I'll work out details)).

Within a few moments ((or minutes)), you're trudging northwards against the current of the stream. Despite making decent effort, Perriket is unhappy with the parties inability to hide their tracks effectively, but at least you'll have the warning of sound in the event of an ambush. "We should cross here," your guide/emissary announces after only a few dozen yards. "There's no especially good fords, and if we light a fire on the east bank, it'll be visible from the foothills," he explains, gesturing to the looming crags, now brilliantly illuminated by the recently-set sun. Blessedly, it's a brief and uneventful swim (though some struggle a bit, the matter is made trivial with a rope and Perriket's training). Keeping the wood dry proves the most difficult errand, still more awkward than challenging.

It takes a little longer than some would like to find another decent place to make camp on the western bank, and the sun has truly set behind the mountains before you call a halt. Franklin digs out a small burrow and quickly lights a fire, now hidden from all directions by the short bluff to either side. Now almost half a mile north of your original campsite, and on the other bank, you're as safe as can reasonably be achieved to settle in. Franklin produces a small pouch of spices and demonstrates the importance of culinary arts amongst the Stepford-Hendersons.

Heldrun gratefully enjoys one carp, seasoned and roast almost as well as the wives in the Downs could achieve, burps, offers a gruff "I'll take last watch. I like seeing the sunrise." and falls asleep with his back to the western bluff. Snoring gently, the quiet gurgles of flowing water and his steady deep breaths make for a pleasant, peaceful beginning to the night.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

(other) watches?

[Palanan]

For his part, Perriket would strongly prefer not to harvest any meat from the alligators, both from a lingering suspicion regarding their health and out of an urgent wish to be away as soon as possible.

But as the group proceeds north his estimation of Franklin rises and rises again, and by the time they’re ensconced in their natural revetment Perriket is willing to concede that Franklin is a worthy guide.

Even so, after the near-disaster at their first campsite Perriket remains as lit up as a spark elemental, so he will take the first watch.

[Triskavanski]

Paronomasia AC: 18 | HP: 16 | Current: 16 Fortitude: +2 | Reflex: +6| Will: +3 | Perception: +4 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None.

"I'll take first watch as well." the kobold says moving to take a seat. He was nothing, if not fastidious as he cast another spell to clean himself and his clothing one more, then mendings to keep his clothing looking fresh and new. One last spell and his head snapped upward for a moment as visions began to pour into his head.

Spoiler

Show

Casting ears of the city
Question 1: What giant's territory are we currently in
(1d20+10)[14] Diplomacy check

Question 2: where is that giant's home
(1d20+10)[27] diplomacy check.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Brankahm does his best to help his allies as they relocate, apparently unconcerned for his own comfort as he fords the stream, practically walking along the bottom in his armor as he holds wood just barely above the surface. For a dwarf he's strangely comfortable with it all, perhaps as a result of his youth above ground. As the party settles he sequentially removes his various clothing items, dries them as best he can, and finally nods as the others start claiming watches. "Sounds like I've got the mid-watch. Makes sense, since I don't use magic. Please wake me with enough time to don my armor - I'd rather sleep less than fight naked," he rumbles with a smirk that's barely visible in the dark. True to his word, though, the dwarf sleeps nearly completely in the buff as he lets his gear dry by the fire.

[tonberryking]

With another sickening clacking noise, Bushi retracts her bone claws and is sluggish and altogether silent for a spell after the fight, even if she does her part to help out.

...My claws are getting bigger the more I do this.

That thought shouldn't surprise her, her mother did tell her to rely on the Beast totem would be to become more bestial and besides, what else is she going to kill giants with? But even so, Bushi recalls the lecture from her parent (the one she knew, anyway) about the tenuous control one has while in a rage. Embrace it, but always treat it as just a part of you, not the whole of you. She's learning that's easier said than done...

"I guess I'll take the last watch." she offers before finding a spot for her to settled down in, curling into a ball with her own mane of hair serving as a sort-of blanket.

[Farmerbink]

As Paranomasia stares unseeing into the heavens, the rest of you settle in as best you can, managing the wet clothes and tumbling stomachs as you will with Bushi's fish, Brankahm's tubers and berries, and Franklin's culinary inclination. The stream gurgles by, and it quickly becomes impossible to ignore the choruses of chirps and trills as insects and night birds too small to be interesting go about their own evening activities.

Spoiler: Ears of the City

Show

I'm... really unsure how to adjudicate this one. You're very much in a place where using diplomacy to gather information would be... uh... challenging. That said, I'm generally in favor of using things in creative ways, so I want to allow for at least the possibility of useful information. To that end, I'm going to roll a percentile die in real life to determine if the place you're in has seen enough foot traffic to offer useful results. (I'm deliberately choosing a low chance of success, as you're deliberately avoiding hanging out in high traffic areas, like that broad road you crossed several real-life weeks ago).

*time passes*

The Kobold bard blinks back into consciousness, forced to admit that you have very likely successfully avoided notice of all of the nearby giant tribes. His glimpses of the riverbed offered little more than a time-lapse video of scenes from nature.

Fortunately, the lack of useful information proves prescient to the relative safety of your chosen camp. Other than the passage of small animals (which mostly avoid the fire, though Heldrun finds some amusement in watching a few field mice argue over the cool scraps leftover of last night's dinner as the sun rises gloriously over the distant woods over Step Downsy Forynth. Only the vaguest wispy tendrils of their campfire hang overhead, easily dismissible as clouds or other stratospheric phenomena.

Perhaps unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the tendrils of smoke you saw to the south the previous evening. One has died out, but the other two rage on, clearly fueled by either a large fire, or many small ones in close proximity. Frederick frowns at the sight. "I've never traveled that way, but I know a few neighboring clans have. I hope they're all alright," he mutters, clearly unconvinced. Deliberately putting on a good face, he stretches languidly in the early morning light. "Well, we made good time yesterday, and ate better than I dared hope last night. With luck, we'll be knocking on doorposts in another day and a half. Make sure and fill your waterskins- there's only unreliable creek beds between us and the foothills."

The doughty Gnome takes his own advice, before scrambling atop the short western bluff to gaze at the next leg of the journey.

[DarkOne-Rob]

Brankahm stands his watch stoically, content to be out in the open air and used to having his sleep broken up. He goes back to sleep easily enough, after removing his armor again, to rest until woken. After rubbing his eyes with two fat-fingered fists he rises and goes to the stream to wash his face. After looking carefully for potential threats he plunges his hands into the water, splashes himself quietly, and returns to don his equipment.

The stout dwarf breaks his fast with some dried rations, eating enough to settle his stomach but not more. He also looks off to the south, thinking to what he knows of the area and trying to remember anything noteworthy that used to be that way...

Spoiler: Mechanics

Show

Knowledge (Geography): (1d20+5)[19], possibly with a bonus from having looked at the map a couple days earlier?

At the recommendation of their guide he takes a good drink from his skin and then refills it before stating, "I'm ready. Lead on, friends."

[Palanan]

Perriket will move up beside Franklin, and will carefully scent the air and survey the landscape for several minutes, comparing what he sees to what he recalls of the map, and then will point out what he believes to be the best route through the next stage of the terrain.

Spoiler

Show

Perception
(1d20+9)[11]

Knowledge (geography)
(1d20+7)[18]

If Franklin concurs, Perriket will suggest they scout ahead together, and he will once again melt into the landscape:

Spoiler

Show

Stealth
(1d20+17)[34]