Age of Giants- Live or Die Trying

[Athaleon]

Urist removed himself to well behind his stealthier companions, doing his best to be quiet despite the rattle of his armor. He wanted to be close enough to help when the fight did break out, and in any case, moving too far would have made it even more likely that he'd be detected.

Spoiler

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Moving around to K7 or so, trying to get around to the higher ground while staying low and not being visible from below, if that makes sense.

Stealth (lol) (1d20-3)[13]

[Palanan]

Without moving so much as a whisker, Perriket focuses intently on the oncoming party of savage cannibal reptile creatures.

[Farmerbink]

The minutes tick past, quickly giving credence to Perriket's estimates. Bushi prowls forward without immediate response from your pursuers. She and Perriket watch keenly as they pick through the hills, ever closer to your hiding spots.

They are almost silent as they move up the hills, apparently somewhat expert trackers and hunters, themselves. The pre-dawn twilight betrayed their presence to you, but it could do the same for them if an armored Dwarf or Gnome were foolish enough to stand up at full height. To your credit, you manage to stay well hidden against their searching eyes, and are able to get a clear count of their number:

One of the Troglodytes (for that is undoubtedly what they are) leads three more: all of them armed. The lead scout frequently leans to the ground to reassess course, apparently following the tracks you left the night before. One of the remaining trio bears accoutrements of a shaman, while the other two seem to be fairly generic warriors. They travel with minimal gear, prepared to move quickly when need be and perhaps carry more weight on the return trip. To Perriket's more trained eye, the foursome seems perhaps a bit underfed? No doubt still dangerous, they just seem scrawnier than the images he's seen of similar raiding parties.

Spoiler: OOC

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At this point, you remain confident you've got the element of surprise on your side. If you wait another ~minute and a half, they'll be at give-or-take AN/20 on the map. You could make a break for it with a several-hundred foot head start, or perhaps with ranged options engage nearly immediately.

The map is largely unchanged- though I adjusted Perriket and Bushi's locations in a manner I hope consistent with your plans.

[Palanan]

“They’re still heading our way,” Perriket murmurs through his message-connection to Brankahm.

“I don’t think they’ve seen us. Are we attacking? They don’t seem like much of a challenge, very skinny and poorly fed.”

.

[Athaleon]

Urist clutched his hammer with a white-knuckled grip, willing himself not to breathe loudly. The creatures should be upon us by now, he thought. Had they somehow missed the party and gone past? Were they wary of the ambush? Had they thought better of it and turned around? Were they outflanking the party now? In any case, he dared not voice his questions. He would not be the first to make a noise.

[Palanan]

Watching fixedly, barely moving a whisker, Perriket will wait until the shaman-looking troglodyte is within range (110 feet) and, with the smallest possible motions, Perriket will cast message on the shaman, allowing the shaman to hear what Perriket says.

Then, still motionless, Perriket will speak in the merest whisper, with his voice emanating from right beside the shaman’s head, barely breathing the following in Dwarven:



“Turn back, flee, beware the Beast of Mäkhnadhûr!

“Heed my words, all ye who yet live! I was once a mighty warrior, and once I could have slain your greatest champion barehanded. But I wandered up these very slopes, and I met the Beast of Mäkhnadhûr, to my great misfortune, alas! I fought the Beast with all my strength, but I was as nothing to the Beast; it tore my flesh and slew me utterly, and it broke and scattered my bones, and now I am no more than a desolate spirit on the lonely wind.

“Beware the Beast! Flee this place, flee these rocky hills, flee back down to the lowlands before the Beast slays all of you as well! Save your flesh, your bones, your very souls! Beware the Beast of Mäkhnadhûr! Flee now while you can!”

[Triskavanski]

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

The Kobold, not privy to the plans other were cooking, continued to wait where he was to be the decoy. Taking his cup of mushroom tea, he muttered the spell for prestidigitation and warmed it up before taking a sip.

[DarkOne-Rob]

“They’re still heading our way...

I don’t think they’ve seen us. Are we attacking? They don’t seem like much of a challenge, very skinny and poorly fed.”

Brankahm nods and responds back, "We're hidden - won't reveal ourselves until the attack." He then does exactly as he said, patiently waiting for the chance to fire upon the trackers before closing to melee...

[Farmerbink]

For several long minutes you wait, as the raiding party treks closer. The sky brightens, warning of the oncoming brilliance of day.

From his elevated vantage, Perriket can see precisely when the shaman hears his whispers from the winds nearby. The shaman stiffens subtly, before slowly looking to the sides. Without a sound, he gestures and the trio halts at his beckoning.

You can't tell his expression from this distance as the coming dawn will break behind him, but you can see him gesturing. He continues to look about himself- in all directions, methodically as you try to scare him off. The tracking party is still, only a few dozen feet to the east of Bushi- still for several seconds after Perriket's silent warning.

Bushi hears a lot of hissing reptilian speech, but can't see gestures without likely revealing herself. For the moment, they still don't appear to have located you.

Spoiler: OOC

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Bushi needs to roll a Fort save vs the Troglodyte's oppressive stench. DC 13, else sickened for 10 rounds.

Map updated

[Palanan]

Perriket holds his position in utter stillness and silence, watching intently and holding himself ready for whatever happens next.

With the faintest of motions, Perriket casts a simple cantrip, focused on a clump of rocks on the edge of their campsite, and from that spot he causes a low, rumbling growl to emanate, the deepest and most menacing vocalization he can conjure, as if a distant storm were purring low thunder in hungry anticipation of the kill.

.

[tonberryking]

Oh by all the gods that have fled this wretched place!!!

Bushi silently shoves two fingers up her pug nostrils with haste for a few moments, eventually coaxing a quiet, steady breath out of her mouth to keep from smelling that awful smell. Of all her experiences that she's not proud of, hiding in rotten places here and experiencing the full extent of goblin slovenliness there, nothing is worse than a gods damned troglodyte!

To make matters even worse, it doesn't take much reason for her to realize that if she were to resort to using her rage powers, she'd have to actually get up close to these outhouse rejects, or even worse, have to touch them.

A fine time to get her bow ready, perhaps!

Bushi starts inching away from the trogs, waiting to see what they do but from a safer vantage as she crawls, hopefully, past some difficult terrain to keep between her and these invaders.

Spoiler: OOC/Rolls

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(1d20+18)[36] Stealth check, trying to move to AG/10 with all that nice difficult terrain between me and the trogs. I wish I could move to AE/8 but I don't know if I can stealth at more than half movement, so I will go for the closer 'barrier'

And if she makes it, I want to prepare an arrow attack in case these stinkburgers become aggressive.

[DarkOne-Rob]

From his hidden spot Brankahm continues to watch the campsite and look for the approaching party of troglodytes. He grips his pelletbow firmly but steadily, his movements subtle and slow as he readies himself to fire on the reptiles...

[Farmerbink]

Perriket's breath catches in his throat when Bushi moves. Like he's trying to will her to silence, he peers over his cover with an intensity surprising even to him. The lead Trog- the tracker, turns his attention from the shaman for a moment, peering terrifyingly close to where the catlike Goblin slithers along the rubble.

Miraculously, she avoids stepping into clear line of sight and knocking loose any of the pervasive piles of pebbles and other debris. She scampers behind another slightly larger rocky projection, just as the shaman appears to offer a command:

In response, the ranger readies his long spear, and the other two reptilians grip a javelin each in their scaly claws. With deliberate precision, the trio prowls forward, low to the ground. Only a moment later, the ranger thrusts his spear into a nearby scrubby bush. Four steps and two thrusts of his spear later, he thrusts it where Bushi had previously been hiding- he's officially trying to flush you out.

Map updated

[Triskavanski]

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

The kobold blinks as the campfire begins to rumble and groan nearby. He begins to move away from the campsite and up the hill some more. "I don't know what that signal is.. but I don't like it. " he mutters to himself heading back up some more to the rest that where up higher, when he pauses looking at the dwarves and gnome. He points to the cliff that is up higher and begins working his way to get up on top of it.

[tonberryking]

Bushi gives a more clear signal.

The little lioness hellspawn leaps up in the air (quite literally; for such a short runt she could be playing basketball in another life) with her bow pulled back and lets an arrow fly towards the shaman.

"KISS MY ARROWHEAD, YOU SACK OF @#$%!" she offers to them in goblin before running on all fours up and around more of the treacherous terrain, putting enough distance, she hopes, between them and her for her to fire off another arrow or three in the coming moments. No matter where that arrow lands, she figures they're gonna be awful mad.

Spoiler: OOC/rolls

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(1d20+9)[14] Attack
(1d4+1)[5] Damage

[Palanan]

Feeling a sudden jolt of real fear now that his attempted ruse has failed, Perriket quietly slips a bolt into his crossbow, aims over the covering rocks, and fires at the closest of the hunters, who appears to be the troglodyte ranger.

Spoiler

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MW Light Crossbow:

Attack: (1d20+8)[17]
Damage: (1d6+2)[5]

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Brankahm's Status, Round 1

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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
Light Dwarven Pelletbow +4 (1d4, 19-20/x3)
MW Chain Shirt (250 GP) (+4 Armor, +2 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 11
Condition None

"Alright, boyos, that's definitely a sign," rumbles Brankahm as he lets loose with his first shot from the unique dwarven weapon on his shoulder. "Keep them away as long as you can!"

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Attack the Troglodyte Tracker ("TR") - Light Dwarven Pellebow: (1d20+1)[13] to hit (counting penalties for range), (1d20+1)[17] (19-20/x3), (1d4)[3] bludgeoning damage, (2d4)[6] critical strike damage.

He will then reload (as a free action) and set his MW Heavy Flail beside him to grab when melee is imminent.

[Athaleon]

"Arn eth djovr! At the devils!" Urist uttered a battlecry as old as Dwarvish itself. His words accompanied a spell that filled him and his allies with fiery courage.

Spoiler

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Casting Bless. Would have been better to get it out before everyone else had shot, but at least it'll be up from now on.

I also can't find the link to the map, but I'm assuming everyone is within 50'?

[Triskavanski]

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

As the others start going the other way. "Oh we're going this way then?" he asks, before popping up slightly to shoot at the closest trog, before running the opposite direction.

Spoiler

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(1d20+2)[22] shot stone crossbow, then moves 30 feet the other direction
(1d20+2)[6] if crit
(1d4)[4]

move to L12

[Farmerbink]

The lead Trog grimaces as it handles a pair of hits, and the pair directly behind him hiss angrily. The shaman yells as the troupe surges forward suddenly (which Paranomasia understands) "Take this small one alive!"

The reptiles quickly swarm Bushi, lashing out with club and long spear alike. She deftly dodges a club and a javelin. Frustrated by the scrubby hill, the ranger hurls a javelin as well. Bushi gets the impression that he's got a better arm than the other two, but fortunately his throw clatters harmlessly against the stones to her right.

In the same moment, the shaman takes cover behind a pile of boulders and points a finger at Perriket. A vast ball of lightning coalesces on top of the Ratfolk scout- taking him by surprise as it painfully scorches him ((Perriket takes 5 damage)).

Heldrun and Franklin leave cover and begin charging to the fray. Heldrun pauses shortly to call upon the blessings of the Forge, adding supernatural weight to his blades.

Map updated

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Brankahm's Status, Round 2

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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
Light Dwarven Pelletbow +4 (1d4, 19-20/x3)
MW Chain Shirt (250 GP) (+4 Armor, +2 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 11
Condition None

"Get out of the kill zone!" Brankahm calls before firing another shot from his unique pelletbow. "Don't want to risk hitting you!"

Spoiler: Mechanics

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5-ft step to R15 and then delay action until Bushi can leave melee (to avoid penalties to ranged attacks). Attack the Troglodyte Tracker ("TR") if able to fire without penalties due to melee. Otherwise attack the shaman, who looks to be out of melee. Light Dwarven Pellebow: (1d20+4)[18] to hit (counting penalties for range), (1d20+4)[16] (19-20/x3), (1d4)[4] bludgeoning damage, (2d4)[5] critical strike damage.

He will then reload (as a free action).

[Athaleon]

Bushi was in trouble. Urist quickly weighed his options, but all of them required him to get much closer. He ran towards the fray, shouting curses at the Troglodytes to try to get their attention.

Spoiler

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Double Move to Z11.

[Palanan]

Perriket has never felt a pain quite like this before—a charring, penetrating fire that isn’t fire—and he knows that if he gives the hovering, crackling sphere another moment, it may just end him.

Quickly he casts a spell he’s been keeping in reserve, and dense mist rises from the rocks and grass, coalescing from the predawn air itself to form a thick low cloud, its domed crown lit from within by the brightly snapping sphere, now smothered in opaque humidity.

As soon as the thick mist has spread out around him, Perriket slinks away, as low to the ground as possible, slipping around the edge of the descending slope to his immediate north in search of deeper cover, making sure to keep the bulk of the dense low mist between himself and the troglodyte band.

Spoiler

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Stealth
(1d20+8)[22]

[Triskavanski]

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

The kobold begins moving towards Perriket, reloading his crossbow. "Stop bleeding and get over here!"

[Palanan]

Intent on escaping the deadly crackling sphere that appeared above him, Perriket pays no mind to the distant shouting from the kobold, and bends all his stealth and speed to slipping away under cover of the densely opaque mist.

[tonberryking]

KER-CHAK!!!

The claws pop and Bushi takes a pair of hard swipes, aiming for the trog's midsection before she tires to handspring and bounce away, her face a snarling mask of fury. If they want to chase her they are GOING to pay for it.

Spoiler: OOC/Rolls

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Claws:
(1d20+10)[23]
(1d20+10)[21]

(1d4+3)[7]
(1d4+3)[5]


Ignore the second if she can't swing both sets before a tumble/movement

Acrobatics check to leave threatened squares; she wants to get as close to AE by LOOPING around (not moving through) the difficult terrain:(1d20+10)[11]

[Farmerbink]

Perriket disappears in several ways, mundane and otherwise as the fray thickens rapidly. Bushi delivers a savage swipe with one claw before bounding away. Despite a clumsy start, the Troglodyte fails to capitalize on her unsteady footing- instead, Franklin plants an arrow in the assailant's chest while Brankham does the same to another one of the reptilians.

As clouds billow up from the ground, the shaman hisses "Take her!" Suddenly thick vines erupt from the scrub all around Bushi trapping her in the spot! His warriors prowl forward carefully in the rapidly spreading cloud, and swarm the catlike Goblin. This time, one javelin strikes true ((Bushi takes 4 damage))

In the same moment, the bizarre cloud of electricity suddenly surges to Urist. ((Urist suffers 7 damage))

((There is an obscuring mists effect centered on the aggressive thundercloud. Heldrum, Perriket, and Paranomasia are in it- Bushi is on the edge. Everyone else is probably unaffected. In addition, everyone but Brankham needs to roll vs Entangle: DC 14. Basically everything is difficult terrain west of Bushi))
Map updated

[tonberryking]

Bushi's eyes are completely red, but her hunter's cunning seems to remain as she simply tries to leap on top of the vines that sprout at her feet, but even if she's caught in a tight squeeze, there's a perfectly good target next to her she can attempt to eviscerate.

Her claws move in blurring red swipes, still stained from the last hit she managed.

Spoiler: OOC/rolls

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Reflex Save and/or Escape Artist check.
(1d20+5)[22]
(1d20+5)[24]

If both or either succeed Bushi is going to attack her two attacks and then (try to) move 5ft to AD, putting the vines and difficult terrain between her and the trogs.

Her two attacks:
(1d20+10)[20]
(1d20+10)[24]

Damage:
(1d4+3)[5]
(1d4+3)[4]

[Triskavanski]

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

The kobold grumbles and tries to move out of the vines himself now going back up the hill. Blasted fools the lot of them, can't even plan a proper ambush and take enemies by surprise.. and now they're getting blood everywhere.

Spoiler

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Double moving out if I can escape entangle. (1d20+6)[21]

[DarkOne-Rob]

Spoiler: Brankahm's Status, Round 3

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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
Light Dwarven Pelletbow +4 (1d4, 19-20/x3)
MW Chain Shirt (250 GP) (+4 Armor, +2 Dex)
Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 11
Condition None

With a sigh that suggests a bone-deep weariness, Brankahm reaches down with one hand and grabs his flail, and begins a steady jog towards the troglodyte leaders. "What a mess..." he rumbles, shaking his head.

Spoiler: Mechanics

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Pick up MW Flail, start moving at full speed directly East (left to right on the map). If I can get further than V15 I'd like that, but I'm not holding my breath...

Spoiler: OoC

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Things did not work as I imagined they would...as a party I think we should discuss tactics a bit better...