"Just the one animal, Donkor? If they are fresh wounds, then I wonder where the one that did that is?", he says.
Donkor nods, as the significance has not been lost on him either. The priest still has that distant thousand yard look as though his sight were focussed elsewhere.
Donkor Soroon:
Donkor keeps the sensor in place for an additional round. The creature is quickly getting further and further away. The last piece of intel Donkor gathers before he cancels the sensor is that it is gradually winding slightly to its left. Rather than continuing to travel southeast, it's turning to travel more directly east.
Donkor then refocuses on the midpoint between the creature and the party, hoping to see what might lurk in-between. This time though, he really does see nothing more than sand.
Donkor's eyes refocus, and he begins paying attention to the immediate world once again. "I can see no others. But as I said, this one was being sneaky. It has veered more directly east, from it's original path of southeast."
Breach sniffs at the dry air in anticipation, as though he senses something on the wind.
Then the old dwarf slowly stretches his neck from one side to the next unintentionally creating a pair of rather loud sinewy cracks. At that, the dwarf readies his trademark wooden shield riddled with strange spine-like spikes. In his other hand he wields an axe, the kind of axe that is way to big to be wielded in two hands, let alone one, but the kind that every dwarven hand seems to know just how to wield with uncanny precision.
I'm not sure of the Knowledge check result yet - I'll read up on it tonight and let you know. First though, I'll have to google Magazord.
First though, I'll have to google Magazord.
First though, I'll have to google Magazord.
Make me a Knowledge (youthful pop culture) check and I'll give you an outline of what Gandel knows on the subject.
Make me a Knowledge (youthful pop culture) check and I'll give you an outline of what Gandel knows on the subject.First though, I'll have to google Magazord.
Cool.
My 10 seconds of research indicates Megazord is kinda like a good guy Destructicon.
OK Donkor:
You got a freakin awesome roll - this is a really really rare beastie - even more rare is the desert variety.
Donkor believes he is (was) looking at an advanced variation of a splicer beast, a predator that tears itself apart into deadly duplicates when it needs to. So you were getting warm with the Megazord thing, but there's no size differential between the duplicates and the original.
You're killing me to give this up already. : )
Donkor speaks up again, "I've heard of this creature before. It is incredibly rare. I wonder what the odds are that it just happens to be where we are? Or do we have somebody already trying to hinder or kill us."
"At any rate, it's a variety of splicer beast. It can tear itself into duplicates when it needs to, not sure how many. And they are all the same size as the original."
"So basically we will never know how many of them might be around. It's only a few hundred feet ahead of us now. Perhaps we would be best off to charge after it, while it still thinks it has the element of surprise and >seems< to only have one copy available? If someone can guide my horse, I should be able to keep an eye on it with Pharasma's sight."
How fast was the beasty moving? I'm guessing not too quickly, since it was being sneaky?
I'm againsd harin' afder id. If we dry do jumb da cridder, we jusd may be jumbed by da resd of id. Ye say ids goin' way? Keeb yer beebers oben, and yer webbons close. Dose of ye dat us'em, anywho.
Thalia does not seem phased by her defunct deduction of what the vreature is doing, but instead, waits and listens.
"We could always ignore it, and watch our backs and blind spots. Donkor, you said the creature was hurt. If that is the case, there is a very good chance that it will not attack. How about we keep going toward our destination, and keep an eye out for this beastie. Less is gained by standing here talking about what we could and could not do in battle if the thing may not even be in the right shape to ambush us in the first place."
Thalia looks to the sky and weaves her fingers before her muttering in a strange whispering tone.
"We could always ignore it, and watch our backs and blind spots. Donkor, you said the creature was hurt. If that is the case, there is a very good chance that it will not attack. How about we keep going toward our destination, and keep an eye out for this beastie. Less is gained by standing here talking about what we could and could not do in battle if the thing may not even be in the right shape to ambush us in the first place."
"I agree. I think we should keep moving," Gandel pipes up. "By Venture Captain Krenshar's map (as poorly detailed as it may be) we need to keep heading east."
"We could always ignore it, and watch our backs and blind spots. Donkor, you said the creature was hurt. If that is the case, there is a very good chance that it will not attack. How about we keep going toward our destination, and keep an eye out for this beastie. Less is gained by standing here talking about what we could and could not do in battle if the thing may not even be in the right shape to ambush us in the first place.""I agree. I think we should keep moving," Gandel pipes up. "By Venture Captain Krenshar's map (as poorly detailed as it may be) we need to keep heading east."
"Ah yes, indeed, we certainly do need to keep heading east. Which, as I mentioned, is the same direction it is travelling. I suspect it is travelling to it's choice of ambush locations, there to spawn multiples of itself and await us."
"Oh, and dear Thalia, I didn't say the beast was hurt. I said it was scarred, and I couldn't tell how old the wounds were. Now, if I'm right about it being a splicer beast, I suspect it just looks like that from where it splits apart."
Donkor settles himself and prepares to travel forward again, at the pace the party sets.
"We should move with haste then if we are not going to track it down. Better to put distance between us and it". Hal grimaces in disgust at allowing an opponent to move about his position freely without a challenge.
Jason follows along with the party. He shades his eyes with his hand as he peers forward. "How far away is this pyramid?", he asks.
Hurgah brings up the rear, his half-closed eyes drifting lazily over the dunes. There is a tense spring in his step though, and he opens and clenches his fists a couple of times in anticipation of a possible battle.
Edit: Reading your post again, that would appear to be all the clarification we need. So, scrap my old post, and who's up for chasing this thing down?
Edit: Reading your post again, that would appear to be all the clarification we need. So, scrap my old post, and who's up for chasing this thing down?
Jason follows along with the party. He shades his eyes with his hand as he peers forward. "How far away is this pyramid?", he asks.
OOC:
The Venture Captain described it as a three day journey - he didn't indicate a distance in terms of miles. Currently you are just over a half day in of travelling east.
* * *
Ah, decisions, decisions. Is this a delicate window of time which is fast evaporating? Or is the party poised to rush into something better left avoided?
Stay tuned for the answer, right after this commercial break.
"We could always ignore it, and watch our backs and blind spots. Donkor, you said the creature was hurt. If that is the case, there is a very good chance that it will not attack. How about we keep going toward our destination, and keep an eye out for this beastie. Less is gained by standing here talking about what we could and could not do in battle if the thing may not even be in the right shape to ambush us in the first place."Moonpate rubs his bald head in a clockwise fashion before speaking.
I have never heard of such a beast, but I would surmise that it is already stalking us and that charging it would do little but tire our mounts and make us even more susceptible to ambush. Donkor, if you are able to maintain sight of the beast then we become the stalker and our options multiply. As my master was wont to say, "A mosquito can make the lion's eye bleed". Ahhh, but for this infernal heat, I could have used my flagon of wonders to send me flying above the beast. I could have carried Master Gandel and dropped him on the unsuspecting critter like the legendary Roc drops a boulder upon thieves counting coins. Oi, what a tale that would be for your chronicles my dear Gandel, eh!
Still, the thought of doing something now before this beast multiplies like boils on a hag's backside has merit. Perhaps we can drive it off with illusion or conjurations both arcane or animal. Whilst we ponder, let us do keep moving and not lose sight of the beast. If we let it choose the ground, I am still not too worried as long as we know the where. I can conjure a doorway through dimensions that can bring me and two others to the ground of our choosing and turn this to our own ambush.
Donkor speaks up again, ". . . I wonder what the odds are that it just happens to be where we are? Or do we have somebody already trying to hinder or kill us."
Woah! Ten paranoid points to Donkor! (Or is it ten acuracy points. . .)
Hmmmm. One drawback with nine PCs is that when the party is split in opinion, it's tougher to mobilize. We might need a rotating party "caller" like in the good old blue box days.
It sounds like the majority at least wants the camel train to start advancing forward while you consider whether to race after the beast. So for now, unless I hear otherwise, the party has started slowly moving forward (east) once more.
If someone does plan to go after the beast, and if they intend to follow by way of the creature's tracks, I'll need a Survival check. With the prevailing wind condition, the desert is relatively forgiving area to track targets that have passed recently, but it's still not automatic.
"I am for Donkor tracking it and moving forward towards the dig. If it starts towards us though we should confront it. Ambushes usually end poorly. Since Thalia here is the most familiar let her make the call".
Thalia looks to the sky and weaves her fingers before her muttering in a strange whispering tone.
Thalia is very certain the party has been heading due east (and is doing so even now). She is also confident she could find her way back to Sothis if need be.
. . . Ahhh, but for this infernal heat, I could have used my flagon of wonders to send me flying above the beast. I could have carried Master Gandel and dropped him on the unsuspecting critter like the legendary Roc drops a boulder upon thieves counting coins. Oi, what a tale that would be for your chronicles my dear Gandel, eh!
A friend of the little people, Breach bristles at the thought of the wizard mistreating the exuberant halfing that the dwarf has grown so fond of in such a short span of time. However, the Shattershield quickly recognizes the remark for what it is: Moonpate simply retreats to humor in times of stress.
Breech looks over to his brethren, Hal and Karek. "If we be ambushed, rather than face the creature and his twins single file, I say we circle up. Us armored types on the outside, and the magic-ones in the center. There we can protect them long enough so that they can do their thing."
Then he looks over to the half-orc who seems to have developed a slight twitch in his hands. "Think you can cover a small corner there Hurgie?"
"Unfortunately, friend Moonpate, I can use my far-seeing ability for only a few moments longer this day. And even the last time I saw the thing, it was very near at the edge of my range. As most of us seem to wish to proceed slowly, let it be so. Friend Breach, I would certainly welcome a circle to protect me from the multitudes of splicer beast that wait ahead."
"Now it would seem we should leave the thing alone in my opinion,young brothers. Injured beast are often far more dangerous than healthy ones. We are aware of it and I am sure that our friends and their spells can help on watch tonight. If it makes you feel better, we will pick a defensible position tonight, and I will rig the area.", Breach says glancing back at the rest of the group.
Unless sommun be willin' an' able do oudrace da cridder and surbrise id, I'm afreid we hab no choice bud do follow and wade.
Karek looks Donkor up and down. Ye look preddy duff, lad. Hurgah, Breach, we dake da oudside. Bud if any ged drew, pud a sdop do id.
Karek glances in Thalia's direction. Sommun needs da see do da camels, if we be addacked.
Then he looks over to the half-orc who seems to have developed a slight twitch in his hands. "Think you can cover a small corner there Hurgie?"
Hurgah sends Breach a toothy grin in response to the comment. He does not say anything, but you can clearly see his eyes shine with amusement.
"Aye I can handle the edge. I will have a surprise for any approaching enemies such are my gifts from Angradd!"
And with that, the party resolves to slowly advance eastward into the desert, once again inching towards the fabled Ahn’Selota. As it does so, all eyes remained peeled for the deadly ambush predicted by Soroon. Every dune of sand conceals a potential point of ambush.
A half hour later. . . .
. . . nothing happens. Except maybe that Hurgah and Hal seem to exhibit signs of disappointment.
An hour later. . .
And then SUDDENLY:
Nope! Still nothing. That was just a desert mouse making its way over a sandy rise. Seriously, get a hold of yourself. Nothings going to happen.
Donkor will be creating water liberally as required for his and any other animals during the journey, at optimal levels to keep them as refreshed as possible. I'm not sure how often this will necessitate stops, but I think quite frequently.
Survival roll? to best gauge how often the beasties need water.
Jason chuckles to himself. He looks down and sees the shimmering field of protection still surrounding him.
"Well, that one fearsome creature certainly put us on edge...aye, lads?", he says to the group.
Gandel scratches Binky between the ears as he consults his map during one of the water breaks.
"Hmmm. A bit more detail to Krenshar's map would've been nice," the halfling scholar thinks to himself for the umpteenth time. "We've passed that red granite obelisk and the cliff wall with the giant figures, but there's not much else noted between there and Kymrasa's dig site. If we veer too far north we should still be able to find the Heavenscape of Tumen, and from there we could just head south to the dig site. I just hope we don't veer too far south and tumble into the Sinkhole of Anu'Telam."
. . . I just hope we don't veer too far south and tumble into the Sinkhole of Anu'Telam."[/i]
The sinkhole of what?!
Oh man, I mean I know they talk about sand box adventures being all the rage these days, but I didn't think they meant it literally. : )
** grotesque spoiler omitted **
Cousin Willy! Noooooooooooooooooo!
Late in the afternoon, as your shadows begin to stretch longer and longer in front of you, the wait finally comes to an end.
As the party descends into a shallow valley-like depression, a lone vaguely wolfish beast appears on a rise about 50 feet away, as though it means to blockade your path. The creature is covered in scar tissue, suggesting it has been badly injured at one time. It has three massive tusks which jut from its lower jaw and cold blue eyes. It lowers its head in a low guttural growl. Donkor recognizes it at once – this is the dread creature he saw before.
The beast is a diversion.
Suddenly several of its pack-mates (with the same identical scar tissue) come pouring out from all sides, running down towards you. The creatures travel on all fours with very powerful hind legs.
OOC:
Let’s check for surprise – to see who can participate in the surprise round. Given the prior warning and general expectation of an attack, I’ve given everyone a +4 circumstance bonus. Since Donkor further knew the exact creature involved and expressed an almost certainty that this was going to come, I’m giving him a +8. It seems that when Pharasma gives him a hunch, he doesn’t question its accuracy.
Gandel:
Thalia:
Halstadt:
Breach:
Karek:
Donkor:
Jason:
Moonpate:
Hurgah:
Opposing Stealth check by the ambushing creatures:
The following PCs are in the surprise round:
Gandel, Thalia, Breach, Karek, Donkor, Moonpate and Hurgah.
Let’s move then to initiative.
Finally! Karek roars, as he half-leaps, half-falls off of Aleson. His hammer is in his hand as he bounds towards the defensive position he had discussed with Breach and Halstadt - somewhere in front of Thalia, positioned to take his portion of the charge.
I guess in game terms, that will be a dismount with his single action in the surprise round. Sound about right?
Here. . .
comes. . .
the rolls. . .
Gandel:
Thalia:
Breach:
Karek:
Donkor:
Moonpate:
Hurgah:
The Creatures (who conveniently act on the same initiative count):
Remember, until your PC acts, he will be flat-footed. But hey, how many rogue levels can a quadruped really have?
Current Initiative Order
For reference,
Here is the current initiative order:
Thalia, you are up!
I guess in game terms, that will be a dismount with his single action in the surprise round. Sound about right?
Possibly - one of the neat quirks of the game is that the fast dismount maneuver, which let's you dismount as a free action, has no penalty for a failed attempt. I recommend Karek at least try it when his turn arises. If he makes his DC 20 Ride check, he's off his mount and saves his standard/move action for something else. If he fails his check, which is likely, then yes, it takes a move action, his only action in the surprise round, to dismount.
Without a move action available, he won't be able to interpose himself between Thalia and the snarling wolf. (Though Thalia could in theory move herself behind Karek as he is right behind her in the camel train.)