Armalad (Hugh) HP 59/128 AC 25 / Touch 19 / Flat 18 CMD 27 Thursday February 2nd, 2023 9:24:20 PM
Armalad continues to mull things over ordering another mulled wine while she does so. (OOC: checking in)
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Thursday February 2nd, 2023 9:49:17 PM
(Retcon) Armalad tells the Lads her story of joining the Shields (back during that convo).
Armalad’s mind bounces between some related and unrelated topics, though perhaps it all has to do with the effect of being a Shield? Perhaps too smart for her own good, Armalad becomes lost in pondering, enjoying a second wine to go with her moody thoughts, before returning to Shields HQ with the rest at the end.
Stohp enjoys some food and drink and is a bit bemused at the cheering (for her?), but Stock encourages her to enjoy the cheering, well-earned. Stock returns with the rest to Shields HQ, Stohp eventually finishing her meal and drink and starting a good distance behind the other Shields, but all eventually reaching Shields HQ. Stock makes good progress on his mirror frame design.
Delia invisible-wallflowers at once in response to the cheers, but rejoins the groups when the cheers finish. Delia recognizes that she and Xera just might have something in common, retracting from boisterous and loud companions, and briefly encourages Xera before departing.
Zanderallen, long-familiar with unexpected cheers, gives the crowd what they want, though his humble heart is not fully in it. He assists Stohp as she enters. Zanderallen gives the Lads a brief benediction. As the groups leave, Zanderallen goes to visit Pepper, who he finds was busy interviewing Belba Stubbletoe, the Turtlemaster, down at one of the docks. Belba excitedly describes the great art of turtle-driving to her audience of one, and Pepper eventually has to end the interview when Belba begins to insist on discussing the breeding habits of turtles in more detail than anyone but Belba wants.
Pepper thanks Belba for a “great” interview, and that if Pepper ever wants to know anything about turtles, she’ll be sure to seek out Belba. Then, spotting the approaching Zanderallen, Pepper says, “Belba, now if you’ll excuse me, I see one of the Shields and I need to go do a second interview about that… uh… Gate adventure they had recently. Ta ta!”
Pepper hops, skips, and almost jumps over to Zanderallen, hooking his elbow with hers and says, “Just in time for our dinner! You ALWAYS know how to rescue a girl!” Pepper finishes with a wink, walking fast and pulling Zanderallen along in a devoted effort to escape Belba’s encyclopedic knowledge of turtles…
Zanderallen and Pepper enjoy a relaxing dinner, and maybe it was just the interview with Belba, but Pepper is more than happy to talk through her experiences in Koshe Marr with her love, the telling seeming to be a means of catharsis for her, enabling her to release worries that had been visible on her forehead even after returning to the Float, and now are gone, carried instead by the broad shoulders of Zanderallen.
Eventually Zanderallen wishes Pepper goodnight and returns back to Shields HQ, a spring in his step at the visible emotional healing in Pepper after Koshe Marr. Zanderallen especially, but all of the Shields, fall asleep to a well-earned rest that night…
…
5:30 a.m.
The sun is *thinking* about rising more than three smidges above the horizon and changing the early morning sky from gray/blue to full blue.
The Shields are still asleep, even the early risers, who for once are trying to enjoy the rest of heroes…
“Shields! SHIELDS!!!! HELP!!!! HELP!!! THEY’RE DYING!!! FOR ALEMI’S SAKE, OPEN UP!!!! … … please … ”
The incessantly loud knocking and shouting has woken all of the Shields, still in their nightclothes, armor hung on its rack, weapons sheathed and on nightstands within reach.
The knocking continues, quieter, slower, like someone slowly giving in to despair… the voice is no longer loud enough to be heard…
What do you do?
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Friday February 3rd, 2023 8:13:14 AM
Stohp's been at this enough that she's awake and alert quickly. Grabbing her stuff she moves quickly to the door as she straps on armor. From what is being said her mind immediately goes to the adventuring group they just met. If they've gotten themselves killed like the last group of people they got to help then she'll kill them.
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 28/25/16; DR 3/-; CMD: 35; Rage: 0/38 used Friday February 3rd, 2023 9:01:46 AM
Stock is up in a flash. He grabs his flail in his right hand and his belt in his left and dashes downstairs, steps behind Stohp.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 Friday February 3rd, 2023 9:37:38 AM
Delia, who as a ranger is able and always does sleep in her full gear, is out of bed at the second knock and flies down the stairs. Hawky, rumpled and grumpy, follows right behind.
If she makes it to the door first, she throws it open, greeting the person knocking with a fully drawn bow. "Who's dying? Report!" she bellows in her best ex-townguard voice.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 Friday February 3rd, 2023 1:09:50 PM
Ooc: (missed the spells request. Excluding extremely situational exceptions (and the 4th level note), Delia always has these spells prepared:
1st Longstrider (12hr) Speak with Animals Entangle x2
2nd Barkskin (120 min, +4) x2 Speak with Plants
3rd Darkvision (12hr) x2 Cure Mod Wounds (2d8+10)
4th Freedom of Movement (120 min) Animal Growth (12 min) - in city[**currently prepared] Commune with Nature (12 mile) - outside of city
She typically casts longstrider on herself every morning and darkvision every evening, but not today yet!)
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Friday February 3rd, 2023 6:07:23 PM "What is that knocking?" Bartomus shouted from the comfort of his bed. He had hopes of sleeping in for once. They had had a great celebration at the Ghost with the Lakeview Lads and he might have had a few too many of the honey meads. Squinting as the knocking continued, he managed to wrap himself up in his blanket and open the door.
The knocking continued and then there was something about someone being killed. He dropped the blanket, put on his kilt, and grabbed his glave. He came bounding down the stairs as Delia tossed open the door, and bellowed at the knocker who was staring down the shaft of a drawn arrow. Bartomus snickered and realized that the blood flow and adrenaline had hit reducing the headache he thought he was having. He came up and stopped a couple of dozen feet back from the door.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 59/128 AC 25 / Touch 19 / Flat 18 CMD 27 Sunday February 5th, 2023 8:57:02 PM
(OOC: Do Elves sleep or do they trance? Or was that something from 3.5 that didn't get carried into Pathfinder; regardless as a wizard cross class Armalad still needs the 8 hours of being undisturbed to prepare spells; I think Elves might not sleep though b/c they do have magical sleep immunity)
Armalad grabs her bow and rises from her meditative state to go downstairs and find out what all the commotion is.
When the door is open she wants to tell whoever it is knocking to slow down and explain just who they are that is dying.
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Sunday February 5th, 2023 9:50:56 PM
Stohp moves with the alacrity of one who has done it all before, strapping on the lightness of her steelgrass breastplate in as much time as it would take to strap on mere leather armor. Snatching her weapons on the move, Stohp bursts forth from her second-floor room only a step behind Delia.
Stock grabs his flail and his belt, cinching it as he goes, opening the door of his third-floor room and racing downstairs with Barbarian-speed, seeing the flash of Stohp’s foot two flights down turning the corner onto the first floor.
Delia, ever-vigilant, is instantly awake, smug in her satisfaction that, finally, sleeping in my armor all these years has paid off again(!), doubles her smug as she barrels forward through her unlocked door, specially hinged to swing both ways for just such an occasion, grabbing her bow and quiver at door’s edge on the way! Stohp’s door has just opened as Delia sprints past Stohp in the nick of time to avoid a mid-air collision.
Bartomus did have a few too many of the honey meads, but after shouting an unanswered question, Bartomus comports himself, gathering his glaive on the way, and getting in line behind Stock, bounding down the stairs and stopping midway on the first floor, about 25’ from the double-doors, of which Delia has opened one and barks “Who’s dying? Report!” in her best ex-townguard voice.
Armalad was deep in her meditation, once more conjuring arcane maths in her mind and connecting them to the Wold, considering what spells, if any, to change from her standard Float Spells preparations, when the incessant knocking grew loud enough to pull her out of meditation and back to the Wold, catching the mysterious, pleading, shouts and speech… at once Armalad grabs her bow and races downstairs, half a step behind Bartomus.
Bartomus stops short, obscuring Armalad’s view, so she side-steps to the right of Bartomus as he comes to a stop. Bartomus and Armalad see Delia at the door, Stohp just behind her, magical flail in hand, and Stock to one side, magical flail in hand, and lit by the dawn twilight leaving behind some of the last vestiges of the early morning grey are…
Xera, standing with eyes surrounded by the red of utter despair, Taran, kneeling, looking at the ground, Ceridan, a thousand-yard stare and an empty quiver, and Yerikah, broken, sobbing uncontrollably.
Zanderallen, deep in sleep, sees Pepper being drawn through Lernitig’s Gate by a huge, monstrous hand reaching through a shimmering portal.
Xera tries to speak, can’t, then blows her nose and spits again into a soaked handkerchief, says, “They’re… they’re all dying! The fisherfolk… the Lads… the plants… the reeds… THE REEDS, they came to life and they… they… they’re CHOKING them all to death, pulled them overboard… oh Alemi, the horror… THE HORROR!!!!”
Zanderallen shouts “Pepp-er!” speaking and running in slow motion as a second huge hand gestures and Zanderallen feels like he’s moving through molasses
Xera falls into sobbing and blowing her nose again.
Zanderallen shouts “Noooooooooo!!!” as the huge monstrous hands disappear through the shimmering portal of Lernitig’s Gate, taking Pepper with them!
Ceridan babbles, “[b]Arrows… more arrows… I need more arrows, but they don’t work! My friends… LOST!” and with that Ceridan goes silent again, staring a thousand yards ahead once more…
Zanderallen “runs” through the invisible molasses, finally drawing close to Lernitig’s Gate…
Yerikah continues to sob incoherently.
…only for Zanderallen to see the shimmering portal vanish in front of him as he barrels through the empty space…
Taran finally looks up, and says, “Shields… it was easy work the merchants said… the fishing fleet got stuck in a reed tangle, just go out there and cut them free… as easy as delivering honey mead… a honey mead run they called it… Shields, HELP THEM! PLEASE!”, and with that Taran goes quiet and stares down at the floor again, never having moved from his kneeling position.
…and with Pepper gone forevermore, Zanderallen’s heart breaks and he collapses to the ground lifeless…
But the shout, “Shields, HELP THEM! PLEASE!” reignites Zanderallen’s heart and his ashen body once more glows with the energy of life as he lifts his head…
Drip.
Drip.
Drop.
…
Zanderallen awakens, drenched in a cold sweat, and remembers: Pepper is alive… he rescued her… and someone needs his… the Shields’ help! Zanderallen grabs his flaming longsword and shield and races down the stairs convicted that so long as Domi’s blessings course through his mind and muscles, he shall ever champion the defenseless innocents! OOC: Zanderallen begins his next post halfway down the stairs from the second floor to the first floor.
…
A wet puddle is starting to form on the ground beneath Taran’s chin.
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Monday February 6th, 2023 8:16:18 AM
Stohp resists the urge to shake the man. "Where damn it, where are they? At the docks or out on the lake? We can't save them unless you tell us where!" As soon as she has an answer she's off, running through town at full speed (with the run feet she covers 150 feet per round). Hopefully any spells like haste or longstrider that might speed up the group the others will cast while she's getting the needed information
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 28/25/16; DR 3/-; CMD: 35; Rage: 0/38 used Monday February 6th, 2023 9:05:34 AM "Hold up Stohp, let's get some more details."
To Taran he says, "Who is dying? The fishermen? Where are Triggan, Grysh and Duluth? What was doing the killing?"
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 Monday February 6th, 2023 10:43:52 AM
Delia takes a moment to steady herself, casting Longstrider as the Lads report. (movespeed 45 in urban favored terrain) She then calmly yanks Taran to his feet, "Alright Lads. Early lesson in adventuring. You don't get to have your breakdown until AFTER the threat is over." She grips his shoulders, "Take us to whatever is going on. NOW. We can get details on the way. Other Lads, move out or go inside."
She turns to Hawky, "Follow Stohp. Signal when we get close."
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 31 T: 13 FF: 30 CMD: 31 Monday February 6th, 2023 3:28:09 PM
Zanderallen may be shaking off the effects of a nightmare but years of combat training and several night time emergencies kick certain things into auto drive. Getting out of bed, trousers, boots, and tunic are right at hand and are donned in an instant. Sword in one hand and bag of holding in the other he's out the door and down the stairs before he realizes it. Hardly slowing him down he buckles his sword to his belt and other wondrous items come out of the bag and onto his person. He reaches the front door as he's buckling on his cloak. "You heard the ladies, action now, breakdown later." He grabs Taran around the shoulders and starts marching him down the front steps and out to the street, "Left or right? Move it!"
Armalad (Hugh) HP 59/128 AC 25 / Touch 19 / Flat 18 CMD 27 Monday February 6th, 2023 8:33:30 PM
Armalad says , "Aye, take us to where they are now and we'll see what we can do for them and if they are beyond help then we'll avenge them, but let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Monday February 6th, 2023 8:58:21 PM
Stohp asks Taran, the only Lad still semi-coherent, where the victims are.
Stock asks Taran exactly who is dying, what was killing them, and where the other Lads are.
Delia speaks to the four Lads as a group, asking them to have a stiff upper lip and finish the mission first, break down later, and let’s get a move on to the attack scene. Delia also directs Hawky to track Stohp, just in case.
Armalad also asks the Lads to take the Shields to the attack scene.
Zanderallen, having sprang out of bed and landed into his waiting clothes, at once grabbed his flaming longsword and bag of holding, trailed them in his wake as he sprinted the length of the hallway and down the stairs, coming up behind the rest of the Shields.
Zanderallen’s seven-league strides quickly bring him to the front door as years of practiced muscles finish buckling on his cloak, and calls the Lads to action! Zanderallen is already out the doors with Taran clutched at his side when he puts Taran back on his feet, marching him down the front steps and out to the street, interrogating him for directions. The rest of the Shields followed Zanderallen’s lead and are close behind, as the other three lads are lost in sorrow, madness, or both!
The brisk morning air and sudden motion brings Taran to his senses, and turning his head to Zanderallen, he says, “This way to the Turtle Docks… you can take our turtle… Belba is waiting for you so she can use magic to make the turtle go faster… The fleet… it’s in a reed tangle maybe a tenth of a mile north by northeast… The merchants hired one of Belba’s turtles to take us out there… When we got to the fleet, the fisherfolk complained about the reeds being tangled on rudders and oarlocks, hard to remove…
Some of us started boarding the fleet’s fishing boats to help chop away the reeds… and then the reeds… THE REEDS… they came alive!
Triggan and Jerma were yanked overboard first along with several fisherfolk… by their necks… blood coming out of their mouths and the maddening sound I’ll never forget, as a few fisherfolk necks were snapped!
The rest of us fought hard to cut away the reeds, with little effect… Grysh and Duluth and the fisherfolk managed to form defensive triangles with weapons and oars, but I don’t know how long they can last… Ceridan ran out of arrows, and Xera and Yerikah out of spells… and then the water… THE WATER, IT TURNED BLOOD RED… and I swear by Alemi, I heard muffled chomping, gnashing, and rending sounds as bubbles rose to the surface and popped…
Shields… please… we’ve got to get to the turtle or (in a whisper) …it’ll be too late…”
Taran is walking faster, trying to pick up speed and pull Zanderallen along the route to the Turtle Docks…
At his pace, without aid, it may take precious minutes to get from the Fence Level down to the Turtle Docks…
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+16=25 ; d20+16=33 ; Monday February 6th, 2023 9:31:05 PM
Bartomus hearing what was giong on, turned back up the stairs and slipped his armor on. Then he came dashing down the stairs with his kit and fell in with the others.
He listened and gave the Lads a few close lookovers to see if they had other wounds not easily visible. He didn't like what he was hearing. It sounded like the sharkmen had a feeding frenzy attacking one of the turtles. Bartomus liked the turtles.
"Should we call for carpets? You know, get above this and drop down into the docks?" Bartomus looked about and tried to find one of their runners. If he found one of the younger errand runners, he will wave them over and tell them to find carpets for the group. He will also ask them to keep watch on the HQ offering to four gold pieces for their help.
"Any clue if our ship may have been hit in these attacks?" Bartomus voiced to the group as they continued their quick step down to the docks. "Also, I wonder if we might be able to ask the King under the Lake for some help in this situation?"
[I]Perception 25 for wounds, 33 for looking for the errand kids they had hired in the past.[/b]
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+21=33 ; Tuesday February 7th, 2023 6:46:21 AM
Stohp is aware that, logically, everone pulled underwater is almost certainly already dead as it had to take minutes for anyone to reach the HQ and it will take just as long for the group to get back there. That's still no reason to dally and save any still aboard the ship.
It's early in the morning and public transit might not be up and running yet. Stohp quickly thinks through her knowledge of the float and leads the group to rush off to the fastest route to get to the turtle dock.(knowledge: Local 33)
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 28/25/16; DR 3/-; CMD: 35; Rage: 0/38 used Tuesday February 7th, 2023 1:36:47 PM "Right about now I'm wishing I still had that helm that let me breathe underwater...At least my armor won't be weighing me down."
=========== Stock is without armor and most of his magic items right now. We will have to remember to go back after this scene to load up.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 Tuesday February 7th, 2023 2:59:23 PM
Zanderallen does the mental math of how long it's been since the initial incident. Between them getting back to town, to Shield HQ, back to the docks, and back out to the fleet, it wasn't looking good for anyone that had been pulled overboard. But people still on the boats could hold out and were worth hurrying for. "Sending for carpets or the Merking are good ideas and if anyone has a way to send a message on the move do so. But we'll be at the docks before a message is likely to reach them. Let's hustle people we've got people in the water." Zanderallen picks up the pace but holds them back from sprinting.
AC is updated with lack of armor and shield. Magic items were in Zander's bag of holding and he'll have them all on.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 Tuesday February 7th, 2023 4:31:08 PM
With others taking charge of Taran, Delia will speed up to get ahead of the group. She lets them know she's making sure that their transportation is ready to go as soon as they all arrive.
(movespeed 45 w/ longstrider and urban terrain)
Armalad (Hugh) HP 59/128 AC 25 / Touch 19 / Flat 18 CMD 27 Tuesday February 7th, 2023 8:33:12 PM
Armalad calls for Joker and the pair set off with the rest. As a caster who specialized in spells that compliment her ability to imbue arrows with spells she hadn't really prepared any spells to help the group move faster.
Armalad says, "I have some scrolls of expeditious retreat I could cast but there is only 4 of them. Any takers?"
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Tuesday February 7th, 2023 11:12:49 PM
Bartomus wonders if it’d be possible to call for magic carpets, as he examines the Lads’ physical condition – Bartomus’ eyes only: Highlight to display spoiler: {these four Lads were physically unharmed. It seems they relied on ranged attacks and spells, though ineffectual, and ran to get help when it was clear they and the fisherfolk couldn’t win. Long-term, a lot of bedrest under your watchful eye would benefit them, but there was no bleeding to staunch. }. He asks aloud whether the Shields’ ship would have been hit. He also asks whether the King under the Lake could help. Bartomus does not notice any errand boys nearby – it may be too early in the morning this day, even for them.
Stohp, with long and deep knowledge of the Float, having lived here since the beginning of her adventuring career, if not before, needs the merest fraction of a moment to determine the best shortcut to the Turtle Dock, and does so, her tall strides and acrobatic talents enabling her to gain the lead from Zanderallen and, as she deftly takes a 90-degree turn, shouts, “Shields, to me! I know a shortcut!”
Stock is moving at full Barbarian speed, unencumbered by armor, and like the unarmored Zanderallen, negotiates the sharp turn through sheer muscle!
Zanderallen asks the group to skip the alternatives and just race for the docks as he rounds the bend!
Delia becomes one with Float City and races ahead of Stock and Zanderallen, hardly noticing the sharp turn, watching Stohp to see the shortcut first and take it ahead of Stohp!
Joker is on Armalad’s shoulder mid-call, anticipating the need, or maybe just jittered by the commotion, but with Armalad nonetheless.
[i[(OOC – Expeditious Retreat is Range: Personal, Target: You, unless Imbue Arrows enables you to deliver the spell to another. Joker can Share Spells, of course.)[/i]
Stohp’s route teaches the Shields a few new things about the Fence Level, from hairpin alley shortcuts to using both entrances to cut through a small shop to reach the land-side door of the Turtlemaster.
As Taran sees where Stohp is leading, he begins shouting “Belba! We’re here! We’re here!”
By this point, of course, so has Delia, who has raced ahead to the docks and begins helping Belba finish Turtle prep.
As the rest of the Shields and Taran arrive, Belba is already calling out, “load up, my dears, load up!”
As the Shields and Taran race onto the turtle, and begin catching their breath, Delia is intently watching Belba, perhaps waiting for something.
Belba then says, “Everyone here? Good! I’m… uh… not supposed to let anyone know that I can cast this spell, but you won’t tell anyone right? Besides, only turtlemasters can cast this spell…” Belba finishes with a wink.
Belba begins casting a spell, and throws droplets of oil and water at the turtle, then touching it with her hand, as Taran heads for the reins. As Taran grasps hold of the reins Belba finishes her spell, letting go of the turtle, and the turtle, with the Shields and Taran on board, is lifted by several inches as a small continuously rolling wave appears underneath the turtle, and then with a snap of the reins, Taran guides the turtle out and away from the float, swimming even faster than the Shields have ever experienced a turtle swim!
As the Shields catch the wave leaving the docks, Taran says, “at this speed we should see the fishing fleet soon.”
(OOC – Per Taran, the fleet is about 500 feet away from the docks as you start, which is a DC 60 Perception check. Some of you have tricks to get near +30 Perception, but this is still too far away to have a chance of seeing the fleet at first, even with a size bonus to notice several Large boats)
After several seconds of turtle-surfing, with the sun continuing to slowly rise, the grays are gone and there are several specks of darkness on the horizon which might be recognizable to those of you with keen eyes, or good fortune.
Perception Check DC 40 – {Highlight to display spoiler: { You’re able to make out four Large fishing boats. There seems to be a lot of frenetic action, but you can’t make out anyone’s distinguishing features at this range, whether human, half-orc, or what-have-you. At 380’ away, if you wanted to use arrows or Long Range Spells on the boats and their inhabitants, you could; make sure to apply the appropriate range penalties based on the range increment of your ranged weapon if you fire arrows, etc.}}
Perception Check DC 48 – {Highlight to display spoiler: {In addition to seeing the hidden text above for DC 40, you also can make out, across the four fishing boats, some humans, a half-orc, and a dwarf reduced to batting away bunches of green plants reaching for them. The humanoids are beginning to move slower, like their muscles are tiring.}}
(OOC – The turtle has traveled 120’ and is speeding up, but at least one of you might be fortunate enough to make something out and begin battle-planning… if you’re well-trained in Perception and roll high, that’s probably enough to see boats… if any are left…
This is technically round 1 of combat, foes in sight or not. Specks on the horizon are 380’ away, and you aren’t sure what they are unless you make that Perception check.
Everyone please write their combat actions/spells if any, for Round 1, in addition to your usual wonderful prose.
Also, please double-check your headers to put yourself at correct AC (if you didn't get to wear armor, etc.), and also put yourself at Full HP. Thanks!)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+17=18 ; Wednesday February 8th, 2023 7:20:56 AM "Cast whatever buffs we have that will help with underwater combat while you can." Stohp advises. she's good at perception but not that good (only +17) and she has no magic to cast so she'll merely move to the front of the boat and keep watch.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+30=44 ; Wednesday February 8th, 2023 9:23:03 AM "Thanks, Belba." Delia will say as she breaks off her intense stare, turning it instead to their destination.
Delia pulls out her spyglass (are more details I can see with a halved range penalty?) and begins to narrate what she can see (Perception 44). "Four boats. Something is still happening out there, so be ready."
Round 1, she will cast animal growth on Hawky and then send him to circle over the area in question.
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Wednesday February 8th, 2023 4:22:36 PM
Bartomus sighed and was a bit concerned for the Lads, but really they had no time to do much of anything. He yelled over his shoulder at the Lads. " get yourselves rested and healed up. This is too close to the Float and you need to be prepared."
He shook his head and rushrdcafter the Shields down into the lower parts of the Float. jumped onto the turtle from the dock. He still was awed by the turtles. That awe increased as the spell Belba let loose sent the turtle swiftly moving into dawning morning.
He squinted into the distance. He could feel the growing anticipation. He reached down into his pouch and took hold of some of the diamond dust. He felt the need to augment his armor and used the dust to make his skin extra hard.
attempted to roll, but having connectivity issues in the building I'm in.so only got error messages on my screen.
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 13/13/10; DR 3/-; CMD: 35; Rage: 0/38 used d20+20=22 ; Wednesday February 8th, 2023 5:03:09 PM "This will be tricky...I should have grabbed more of my things..."
Stock is doing his best to see but still can't make anything out.
"I can swim some but I worry if I get pulled under how effective I will be. I think it will be best to stay on board."
He looks about the turtle boat for an oar or something to reach into the water with if necessary. ========= Perception 22
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 Wednesday February 8th, 2023 6:33:19 PM
Zanderallen wonders what Belba is talking about but he will make no complaint or comment on the increased speed. Seeing they are fast approaching danger he draws his sword and calls upon Domi's power to enhance it. "Watch out for each other, priority if anyone is in the water we need to get them out." ---------------------------------------------- Divine Bond Weapon Spirit Increase +4 Flaming Longsword to +5 Flaming Speed Longsword 15 minutes 1/3 uses
Armalad (Hugh) HP 128/128 AC 25 / Touch 19 / Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+20=36 ; Wednesday February 8th, 2023 8:40:01 PM
Perception: 36
Armalad tries to see what she can find but comes up short so she settles for casting mage armor on Joker.
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Wednesday February 8th, 2023 11:57:39 PM
Stohp advises the Shields’ spellcasters, then moves to the front of the boat to keep watch.
Delia thanks Belba, and then pulls out her spyglass to get a better look.
(OOC – Delia is now entitled to read the DC 48 text in the prior DM post.
Also – For Delia’s Eyes Only (since the spyglass cut the distance penalties in half and she rolled so well): {Highlight to display spoiler: {Delia sees the boats and the survivors more clearly, and discerns that the half-orc is Grysh from the size of his battle axe and tough build, and the dwarf is Duluth, based on his armor, and hair and beard color, and overall size. Delia may have met fisherfolk over the years as a town guard, but she doesn’t recognize anyone specific that she knows amongst the fisherfolk. The “bunches of green plants” more clearly resolve into clusters of reeds common to Turtle Lake, but usually appearing closer to shore, and not moving like a cunning animal trying to track and kill its prey. Grysh’s energy must just have run out because he’s moving a lot slower, as though suddenly lethargic. Everyone else is low on energy too, by their movements.}}
Delia casts Animal Growth on Hawky and sends him scouting.
(OOC: Since Belba boosted the Turtle’s movement, Hawky quickly finds out that Turtle can swim as fast as Hawky can fly!
Delia – please put in your post the distance at which Hawky began his circle – he could indeed start at 380’ distance (avoid combat risk), but it’s a wide circle at Run x4 flight speed of 240’/round – please let us know in your next post the distance between 380’ and 140’ from the scene that Hawky begins his ‘circling the area’)
Bartomus had warned the other three Lads to recover at Shields HQ before doing anything else. He wasn’t sure his words set in, but had no time to check as the Shields raced for the Turtle Docks. The Turtles surprised Bartomus once more as Belba cast her secret spell, causing the Turtle to swim faster than he had thought possible! Waiting to get close enough to make anything out, Bartomus cast Stoneskin on himself.
(OOC - +16 perception is not enough to reach even the DC 40 result unless Bartomus was going to boost it with a spell or magic item or spyglass or something, unfortunately.)
Stock squints, but the specks are too far away still. Stock looks around the boat to see if any useful tools have been left. There is an oar, and picking it up Stock estimates it weighs about 10 pounds and could be used as an improvised club, though with a small risk of it breaking when hitting an armored or otherwise-hardened foe.
(OOC – this is close enough to a Club that there is no improvised weapon penalty; it’s just a regular club (1d6 damage), not a greatclub, that has a handle long enough to wield two-handed if desired, much like a longsword. Oar did not get a description in the corebook, just a price and weight, so I made a ruling.)
Zanderallen gives battle orders to the Shields, and then silently prays to Domi. His sword glows slightly brighter and gains blur lines as Domi’s power flows through him and into his sword!
Armalad squints, and comes close, but bigger specks still don’t have enough detail for her to make out. Armalad casts Mage Armor on Joker.
The Turtle increases speed again, moving 240’ while the Shields squint and cast spells. The Shields are now 140’ away, and the specks have become… the size of things… boatlike? There seems to be a lot of motion from outside the boats coming in, and a lot less motion on the inside of the boats.
Perception DC 16: {Highlight to display spoiler: {Yup, those are four large (OOC: 10’ by 10’ or so) boats like the kind the fisherfolk use. Some bunches of green plant stuff is moving from the water to the boats sometimes, and sometimes taking things that might be vaguely humanoid shape off the boats! Also, the first three boats are equal distance to you in a horizontal line, or so, and the fourth boat is just beyond and a bit to the left of the rightmost close boat.}}
Perception DC 24: {Highlight to display spoiler: {As DC 16, but now you can see that the green plant stuff is clusters of reeds wrapped around torsos, or even necks (?) of humanoids mostly 5’ to 6’ tall. All four boats have reeds holding a victim aloft 5’ off a boat’s side.}}
Perception DC 30: {Highlight to display spoiler: {As DC 24, but you can tell if a grabbed fisherfolk is man or woman, and that two of the grabbed victims are likely Grysh (the leftmost boat) and Duluth (the fourth boat, just beyond the rightmost boat.}}
Taran shouts, “They’re all going to be done for if you don’t board a boat right away!
Do you want to board the left boat, the middle boat, or the right boat?
We can’t make the farthest boat without being attacked on the way.”
(OOC – this is Round 2.)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+17=37 ; Thursday February 9th, 2023 7:15:12 AM
Stohp gets a good view of the situation and reports (perception 37). "Four boats in a line. The reads are all over them and grabbing people to take them under. Someone's about to be dragged under on each boat. We should probably hit each boat in the line left to right."
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 13/13/10; DR 3/-; CMD: 35; Rage: 0/38 used d20+20=40 ; Thursday February 9th, 2023 8:55:53 AM "Can anybody tell how much space is between the boats? I'd like to pull the turtle between the left and middle boat and that way we can split up between the two boats but I can't tell if there is too much (or too little) space between the boats for that to work though. If so I'll go middle...if not I agree with Stohp - we go left to right and some might have to get off at each stop."
He then mutters, "Sorry Duluth"
=========== Perception 40
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+28=35 ; Thursday February 9th, 2023 9:25:03 AM Hawky: Animal Growth 15 minutes -1 round Delia: Longstrider 15 hours
Hawky huffs indignantly that big-slow-shell-beast can keep up with him. Since he can't scout ahead, he just keeps pace at 15 feet elevation.
Delia carefully tucks away her spyglass (perception 35), reporting on everything she saw, including whether there is space like Stock asked, "I only see Grysh and Duluth of the Lads. And, either they've hit their wall or the reeds - the evil, smart reeds - are doing something to them. Armalad, our companions, and I might be able to help out at range." She reminds herself of what she told the Lads: grief later. People needed them now.
She then steps over to Stock and casts Freedom of Movement (Most relevant bonuses: cannot be grappled and no penalties for being underwater (other than breathing)).
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+10=27 ; Thursday February 9th, 2023 3:05:50 PM "Belba, put us in reach of the left boats. We cut people free of the reeds get them on the turtle and move to the next. Archers and casters start on that rear boat. Try to disable to reeds before they carry people under." He reaches down to pat the turtle they're riding on, "Watch yourself, I don't know how large a creature these reeds will try to pull down, we're counting on you and Belba. Belba I am going to protect your turtle from poison unless you have objections." Unless Belba stops him Zanderallen will cast Delay Poison on the Turtle. He then prepares to get in reach of some of these reeds. -------------------------------- Divine Bond +5 Flaming Speed 149 rounds
Delay Poison - Turtle - Delays onset of all poisons for 11 hours.
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+16=21 ; d20+16=29 ; d20+16=22 ; Thursday February 9th, 2023 6:20:22 PM
Bartomus seemed to see movements that were more creature like than plant.
[/b]"There's something odd about the reeds and how they are moving. I don't think these are from below the lake. "[/b]
The taur nodded in agreement as to which boats to head towards.
"Hey, Zee, want me to play Sharkman or merefolk to get a peak from down below?
Armalad (Hugh) HP 128/128 AC 21 / Touch 19 / Flat 14 CMD 27 d20+20=31 ; Thursday February 9th, 2023 8:35:20 PM
(Perception: 31)
Armalad quickly explains to the others what she sees and then tries to figure out her best course of action. She casts grease on herself. Then she heroically casts fly on herself.
She says, "I could go for the 4th boat. I can fly and I'm covered in grease so it should make it difficult for one of the vines to grapple me."
Fly : 60 foot fly speed (average) Grease: +10 to escape artist
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+16=30 ; 2d8+7=10 ; d20+16=21 ; 2d8+7=19 ; d20+16=29 ; 2d8+7=10 ; d20+16=21 ; 2d8+7=20 ; d20+16=35 ; 2d8+7=19 ; d20+16=22 ; 2d8+7=22 ; Thursday February 9th, 2023 10:55:43 PM
Stohp squints a bit, but makes out the whole tactical situation and reports to the Shields.
Stock also squints and makes out the whole tactical situation. He strategizes out loud, unsure of the best boat to end up near, but voting for the middle boat if the difference can’t be split.
Hawky maintains pace with the Turtle and rises to 15’ up. Delia puts away her spyglass, no need to squint, and likewise reports on the whole tactical situation. She casts Freedom of Movement on Stock.
(OOC – Belba did not come with you; Taran has the turtle’s reins. Belba just cast the secret super-swim spell.)
Zanderallen makes a command decision and asks Taran to split the difference on the two left boats. Zanderallen casts Delay Poison on the Turtle, and readies his muscles for action.
Bartomus agrees with Zanderallen and Stock on splitting between the left two boats. He asks Zanderallen if he should wild shape into an aquatic form to see the battle from underwater.
Armalad casts Grease on herself and heroically casts Fly on herself, and considers aloud if she could go after the fourth boat alone.
Stohp, Stock, and Delia all report that the large boats are just close enough for the huge turtle to split the difference.
Taran sees that Stock’s suggestion to try for two boats carries the day and Zanderallen has ordered it, so Taran steers the Turtle slightly and eases back a bit on speed, so the Turtle swims right into the fray, slowing to a stop almost adjacent to both boats.
(OOC – I was able to place some of you where you are on the turtle by your statements and actions, and the rest I took an educated guess at.
No, you don’t have edit permissions on the map – describe your route from starting square to ending square (e.g. L19 to N20) and I’ll do all the updates.)
The reeds attack their prey as the Shields come ever closer on their Turtle! (The reeds attack while the Turtle is still 140’ away from the face of Boat 1; as the Turtle closes, the reeds’ attacks, and their stomach-churning results, are visible and clear to all the Shields.)
There are eight reeds coming out of the water, two per boat.
Starting from Boat 1, a reed ceases toying with Grysh and rolls its binding up his body trying to constrict his throat, easily overcoming the weakened Barbarian’s tired muscles, his rage already spent, and Grysh is barely still conscious (10 damage), but his arms are starting to fall slack.
The second reed on Boat 1 tries to reach one of the two fisherfolk nearest, and does so, but experienced fisherfolk are made of stern stuff, and the fisherman is still trying to pull the reed from around his throat (19 damage).
On Boat 2, a reed likewise finishes toying with its pet fisherwoman, and shifts to the throat, succeeding in beginning its inexorable victory (10 damage). The second reed spends time feeling around its portion of the boat, and not finding a target. It keeps searching, apparently by touch.
On Boat 3, another reed moves its grip to the throat of a fisherman, succeeding greatly (20 damage) and the fisherman is weakly trying to remove the reed from his throat. The other reed gropes around its portion of the boat, but finds no prey.
On Boat 4, a reed shifts its grip to Duluth’s throat with great ease, and squeezes his throat until Duluth passes out and blood pours from his throat! If Duluth is not dead, he’s close to it! (19 damage) the other reed finds a fisherwoman on the boat and reaches for her neck, gripping it tightly and squeezing hard (22 damage)! The fisherwoman’s pulls at the reed around her neck are limp and ineffectual.
(OOC –
COMBAT NOTES – on the boat’s approach, those with archery, flight, swimming, etc. are welcome to declare that they hopped out of the boat during the final 145’ of swimming, or that they shot arrows on the approach, before any lines of sight were blocked, but after the reeds began squeezing the life from their prey. This is Round 3, and since none of you are driving the Turtle, each Shield has the luxury of firing from a distance or waiting for the Turtle to close to boarding distance before taking their round.)
All the underwater combat rules from the core rulebook are in effect, including when an above-water creature tries to attack a creature fully under the water’s surface. Reminder: spellcasters beware of what water may do to your spells when targeted fully underwater…
Sharp-eyed Shields notice from far off, and the rest of you once the Turtle is adjacent to the boats, that the reeds above the water go down into the water and under the boat they’re next to, into some kind of large floating tangle of reeds 10’ under the water. Is each reed a foe, or is it part of a single larger foe, deep enough in water to be out of the reach of unaided arrows, and many spells?
Lads and Fisherfolk are wounded, even dying, all around you, Shields – what do you do?
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+21=36 ; Friday February 10th, 2023 7:39:25 AM
Stohp runs across the turtle boat and the fisher boat to jump in the water next to GR (I think she has just enough move). She'll try to grab the read and pull it free - she's not very strong but she's great at grappling (I want to grapple the read and pull it off, but am not sure if that's possible by the rules. I read it as either being possible, or it only being possible for me to give +2 to his attempt to free himself.)
Grapple 36
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 13/13/10; DR 3/-; CMD: 35; Rage: 0/38 used d20+8=12 ; d20+20=35 ; d10+23=31 ; d6=1 ; Friday February 10th, 2023 11:03:20 AM "Up to you if you go diving in Bart. Just be careful. It will be near impossible for any of us to help you down there if you get wrapped up. We also might need you to help fish some of these guys out of the water if they fall in."
As the turtle comes alongside, Stock bellows out a war cry and leaps across to the boat. He then pivots on a heal and smacks at the reed holding the fisherfolk with his flail, trying to avoid the guy it is holding.
========== OOC - I'm definitely wishing Stock had grabbed a few more things - Boots of Striding and Springing and Gloves of Swimming and Climbing would come in handy righty about now Rage! Acrobatics to jump to Boat 2:12 - I think that's a DC10: 5 foot jump is normally DC5 but w/o a 10' running start doubles it to DC10. Power Attack vs. the reed holding Fr hits AC35, 31 damage + 1 electricity
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+6=13 ; d6=3 ; d6=4 ; d6=5 ; d6=1 ; d6=1 ; d6=4 ; d6=2 ; d6=1 ; d6=3 ; d6=4 ; Friday February 10th, 2023 4:21:08 PM
Zanderallen takes in the carnage and knows what he has to do. There were too many entangled people to all reach, he needed to keep them alive for his friends to save then deal with the reeds. With Stohp attending to Grysh he has the space he needs. He steps back to get a running start and jumps across to boat 2. He draws his blade and raises his holy symbol high casting out a wave of healing energy. "EVERYONE TO THE TURTLE!! I'll try and keep everyone alive, hang in there Duluth." ------------------------------------------ Divine Bond +5 Flaming Speed 148 rounds
Delay Poison - Turtle - Delays onset of all poisons for 11 hours.
Move action - Step back to K17 then 10 foot running start to jump (Acrobatics 13) to boat 2 and end up at I22 I believe I'll need a 10 ft jump DC 10 and it will take all 40 ft of move (Boots of Striding and Springing)
Standard Action - Channel Positive Energy in a 30 ft radius Heals Everyone except the fisher woman on Boat 4 25 HP Lay on Hands 2/13 used
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Friday February 10th, 2023 5:23:31 PM "Good point, Stock." Bartomus replied and watched as the turtle continued forward. Then he smiled. "But I gotta think they deserve some help too."
As he answered, he pointed over to the 4th boat and the poor souls on it. Then he dove into the water and as he did so changed into a huge water elemental swimming towards the other boat.
using wild form to make the change into the elemental.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+22=42 ; d20+22=30 ; d20+22=25 ; d20+17=19 ; d20+12=32 ; d20+12=32 ; d8+13=19 ; d8+13=17 ; d8+13=21 ; d8+13=18 ; d6=5 ; d6=2 ; d6=5 ; d6=3 ; 2d8+26=37 ; 2d8+26=41 ; d20+14=31 ; Saturday February 11th, 2023 1:46:01 PM
Delia will settle into the rhythm of the turtle's movement, factoring the rocking into her shot. She takes a breath, holds it, and unleashes a volley on the takes fires at reeds holding onto Duluth.
She sends Hawky over to boat 4 as she fires, ordering him to Fetch anyone there who falls or is pulled into the water. (Str 25, Int 3) He will play tug of war with the reeds if it comes down to it.
================================= Attacks at Duluth's reeds, secondary target of Fisher Woman 4's reeds if needed.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d8+13=15 ; d6=6 ; Saturday February 11th, 2023 1:49:32 PM (oops, forgot manyshot on attack 1. Add 15 piercing & 6 cold to attack 1 both crit and non-crit please)
Armalad (Hugh) HP 128/128 AC 21 / Touch 19 / Flat 14 CMD 27 d20+20=21 ; Sunday February 12th, 2023 10:43:57 PM
Armalad isn't really equipped to heal and although she's flying and greasy strength isn't really her strong suit. Instead seeing Delia shoot the reads she decides she will too
Assuming the read holding Duluth is still standing after Delia's barrage she will fire a single arrow at it imbued with selective fireball. The fireball will not hurt Duluth or the fisherfolk being that Armalad has the selective spell feat.
However the reed holding Duluth as well as the reed on the other side of boat 4 will be targetted assuming the arrow strikes true against the reed holding Duluth.
Armalad flies to F21 in order to get point blank shot against the reed however that was for naught as her arrow flies errant with a natural 1
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+21=22 ; d20+21=22 ; d20+15=16 ; d20+10=13 ; d20+16=27 ; 2d8+7=10 ; d20+16=20 ; 2d8+7=18 ; d20+21=41 ; d2=1 ; d20+26=46 ; d20+26=35 ; 4d8+14=32 ; Monday February 13th, 2023 12:40:39 AM (OOC – the newest sheets tab is Round 4, please use Round 4 to plan your next actions. I will make a new sheet for each new round.)
Stohp moves (K16 to M20) onto Boat 1, and happy to see a rescuer, the two fisherfolk fall back into the water, swim over to the Turtle and climb aboard with Taran’s help. Stohp reaches over to Grapple the Reed, and succeeds only by her extensive and excellent training as a grappler.
(OOC: Stohp started the Grapple this turn, and is out of actions this turn. On Stohp’s next action, Stohp has two choices: 1) if her next grapple check succeeds, Pin the Reed, so it can’t attack anyone. She can Grapple as a Move Action, so can try to Pin the Reed twice; 2) Aid Another, for any help, is always a Standard Action, so Stohp could do this action once and also one Grapple as a Move Action, attempting to Pin; 3) Stohp could do anything else.)
The two fisherfolk in the boat saw Stohp coming and leaned back to accommodate her, and on their turn they jump into the water, swim to the Turtle, and are helped onboard by Taran.
The Reed, sensing danger has grabbed ahold of it (OOC: size large danger) and sensing even more food than is present in Grysh releases its hold on Grysh, who falls into the water, bleeding and unconscious, and promptly begins to drown. The Reed attempts to break free of Stohp’s grapple on its first attempt and utterly fails! Then, as though both Reeds near Boat 1 were arms of one creature, the other Reed attempts to break the first Reed free of Stohp’s grapple, and it too utterly fails!
Grysh mumbles “glub… glub… glub…” as he bleeds…
(OOC – Stock, that’s a 10’ jump to reach the boat, so DC 20. Even Raged, Stock would judge that a less than 50% chance of success, and he knows that flails don’t swing well while treading water. I give Stock the benefit of his extensive experience, and since he’s adjacent to the Reed already, have him strike from where he stands on the Turtle, granting him a Full Attack Action. If Stock’s a risk-taker and would have taken the jump, I’ll take that into account in future actions.)
Stock rages and swings his mighty Flail in both hands, smacking the Reed hard, feeling some physical resistance, (but the shocking enchantment works normally) then nearly losing his flail on the second attack (OOC – natural 1), and missing with the last swing.
The wounded and scorched Reed’s attention has been gotten. It drops the fisherman, who begins weakly swimming to help on the Turtle, and Taran shifts a foot to allow him to climb aboard. The Reed reaches for Stock, hitting him and grabbing him (10 damage), and its attempt to grapple succeeds (OOC – natural 20, result of 41). Then, as if arms of the same creature, the other Reed by Boat 2 also reaches for Stock, hitting his unarmored body (18 damage).
Zanderallen saw Stock’s false start at jumping across and decided to play it safe, using the Turtle to get a running start and telling others to duck, Zanderallen makes the running jump across to Boat 2, drawing his sword along the way and then channels healing to every ally he can reach.
Grysh is instantly healed and conscious, and grabs ahold of the boat and throws up a lot of lake water. The first wounded fisherwoman (now on the Turtle) is fully healed. The wounded and grappled fisherman at Boat 3 is healed. Duluth is snatched from the jaws of death for a brief moment. The wounded and grappled fisherwoman at Boat 4 is not reached.
[i](OOC – read Z’s email; Z has Selective Channeling; Z successfully excludes all Reeds and/or tangles of Reeds beneath the Boats)
Delia begins firing arrows as Bartomus shifts into a Huge Water Elemental and easily swims over to and under the boat.
Delia’s first, second, and fourth arrows hit the reed holding Duluth, and there is some physical resistance, but it takes significant damage from the first, the second, and then the fourth arrow neatly severs the Reed in two, some strange sap issuing from the top half of the Reed as it and Duluth begin to fall into Turtle Lake, and a veritable geyser of sap vomits forth from the bottom part of the Reed, and as it disappears into the Lake, the other Reed suddenly goes slack and falls off of the wounded fisherwoman, who likewise falls into the Lake!
(OOC – Bartomus, on the map, you’re a 3x3 grid UNDERNEATH THE BOAT and Duluth is within your watery body, though not “held” by you, with the wounded fisherwoman adjacent to you.)
Duluth, recently healed and dropped, is desperately trying to tread water, fails, grabs ahold of the boat side (he’s still encumbered by armor and gear).
The wounded fisherwoman mumbles, “Glub… glub… glub…” as she begins drowning. Hawky, seeing two people fall into the water at the same time, acts on animal instinct and (1 = Duluth; 2 = fisherwoman) “rescues” Duluth, who seems to be just fine. (Hawky plans to rescue the other person as soon as Hawky can.)
Armalad raises her bow to fire… and Delia has stolen her thunder… though not her fire. Armalad sees that Stohp is winning her grapple against the Reeds by Boat 1, but Stock is grappled by Reeds, and no one is helping the grappled Fisherman at Boat 3. Taking careful aim, and knowing Stock will last a lot longer than the Fisherman, Armalad shoots her imbued arrow at the Reed holding the Fisherman by Boat 3, and halfway on its path a faulty fletching feather falls off, and the arrow spins out of control, missing the Reed, and sailing dozens of feet before it strikes the distant water and the fireball harmlessly explodes over the Lake. Well, not totally harmlessly. Later, careful searching might find a few fried fish who thought they were only coming up to eat insects…
Over by Boat 3, the Reed on the suddenly-healed Fisherman continues to try to strangle him, and succeeds easily, having achieved optimum position around his neck and squeezing with twice normal force (32 damage), causing the fisherman to lose consciousness, and blood begins to slowly trickle out of his mouth, the red streak down his chin visible to all paying attention. The other Reed continues to feel around on the boat’s surface for more prey.
(OOC: ROUND 5 –
STOCK – you’re Grappled. Its CMD is 32; if you attempt to break out of the grapple, that’s what you need to equal or beat. Otherwise, check the grappled penalties and grappled condition as normal.)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+21=34 ; d20+21=41 ; Monday February 13th, 2023 6:19:58 AM
Stohp is able to maintain her grapple and tries to tie the tentacle in knots (first check success, 34 to pin, 2nd check success, 41 to tie it up - with a rope if needed but I thought it'd be cool to tie it up in itself).
Stock (JonM) HP: 248/248; AC: 11/11/10; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 2/38 used d20+23=41 ; Monday February 13th, 2023 9:23:34 AM Raging, Grappled Stock grunts at the two reeds grappling him. It's really galling to the raging dwarf that these plants think they can do this. He flexes his muscles, twists at the waste and then is free.
He bellows out a taunt in Dwarvish and shakes his flail, crackling with electricity at the the reeds.
========= Thanks for the ruling - While Stock is a daring sort, I don't think I would have tried that jump had I interpreted the situation right. For some reason I read that as jumping over a 5 ft square, not thinking it was needing to jump a total of 10 ft. Makes sense now.
CMB 41 vs CMD
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+22=27 ; d20+22=39 ; d20+17=23 ; d20+12=18 ; d8+13=14 ; d6=6 ; d8+13=18 ; d6=3 ; d8+13=16 ; d6=2 ; d8+13=20 ; d6=2 ; d3=3 ; d20+14=30 ; Monday February 13th, 2023 11:34:40 AM (ooc, for future reference Stock has Freedom of Movement and is immune to grappled and underwater penalties)
Delia: Longstrider 12 hrs, Hawky: Animal Growth 12 min, Stock: Freedom of Movement 120 minutes
"Good boy," Delia mutters as Hawky swoops to drag Duluth onto the boat. Hoping that the churning water underneath boat 4 means that Bartomus is there, she whistles sharply to draw Hawky's attention to her new target and he will prioritize saving him next. She switches her attention to the poor soul getting strangled on boat 3 and fires another volley, though not as devestating as the previous one, at the reeds choking him.
================= Attack 1: 27 to hit Damage: 14 piercing + 6 cold & 18 piercing + 3 cold Attack 2: 39 to hit Damage: 16 piercing + 2 cold Attack 3: 23 to hit Damage: 20 piercing + 2 cold Attack 4: 18 misses
D3 misclick Hawky grapple: 30 if needed on fisherman 3
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+12=17 ; d20+16=29 ; Monday February 13th, 2023 4:01:32 PM
Bartomus sees, and possibly hears the "glub, glub, glub." He reaches out and tries raising the drowning fisherwoman up and into the boat. At the same time, he looked about to see what or where the Reeds were coming from.
Not sure what to roll, tried CMB and got a 17 to try to raise Fisherwoman on Boat 3; Perception 29
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+22=39 ; d20+26=31 ; d20+22=33 ; d20+17=28 ; d20+12=27 ; 2d8+34=42 ; d6=1 ; d8+17=25 ; d8+17=25 ; d6=2 ; d6=4 ; d8+17=21 ; d6=5 ; Monday February 13th, 2023 9:04:37 PM "Archers, that boat!" He yells as he looks and points towards boat 3. He steps up to the reeds attacking Stock and unleashes his wrath. ----------- Divine Bond +5 Flaming Speed 147 rounds Lay on Hands tracker 2/13 used Delay Poison - Turtle - Delays onset of all poisons for 11 hours.
5 ft step to H21
Full Attack on Reeds, H20 into I21
39 to hit, 31 to confirm crit, 42 damage + 1 fire 33 to hit, 25 damage +2 fire 28 to hit, 25 damage +4 fire 27 to hit, 21 damage +5 fire
Armalad (Hugh) HP 128/128 AC 21 / Touch 19 / Flat 14 CMD 27 d20+20=22 ; d8=2 ; d6=4 ; d8=3 ; d6=2 ; 10d6=35 ; Monday February 13th, 2023 11:13:53 PM
Armalad tries embuing a lightning bolt this time and aims at the reed at I20
If she has to she gains height on her position so she should still be within 30 feet of the targetted reed giving her point blank shot.
If the arrow hits it will create a lightning bolt that extends from I20 to G20 then from F19 to A19 then A-1 18 to A - 6 18 then A-7 17 to A-13 17 then A-14 16 to A-17 16 getting the reeds at I and H 20 and C 19 and not striking anything else. If the arrow misses the spell fizzles.
22 vs AC of read at I 20
1d8 + 1d6 shock + 11 x 2 from many shot + DC 19 reflex save or take 10d6 electricity only half on success
if arrow hits: Reed at I20: 2 + 4 + 11, 3 + 2 + 11 and 35 electric damage from the lightning bolt if failed DC 19 reflex save for 17
Reed at H20 DC 19 reflex save for 17 electric damage else 35 electric damage
Reed at C19 DC 19 reflex save for 17 electric damage else 35 electric damage
Note please see link: [href="https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/combat/space-reach-threatened-area-templates/"]space and area[/link] for how I arrived at my line shape. since 120 / 4 = 30 I stacked 4 30 foot lines together
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+21=26 ; d20+20=38 ; d20+15=31 ; d20+10=27 ; d10+23=29 ; d10+23=27 ; d10+23=25 ; 3d6=7 ; d20+9=17 ; Tuesday February 14th, 2023 5:45:48 AM
Stohp leverages her advantageous grappling position, first to pin the Reed, and then since the other Reed reached over in a failed attempt to break Stohp’s hold, she grabs ahold of it and triple-ties the two Reeds together like Large shoelaces! (OOC – tying up with ropes while grappling “requires a combat maneuver check at a -10 penalty.” Here, Stohp is using the ropelike nature of the Reeds themselves, so this DM would lessen, or even eliminate, the penalty, and also Stohp got a natural 20 and is automatically successful in the Tie Up attempt, setting a DC of 41 for any attempt by the Reeds to escape this position.)
Stohp’s Reeds then attempt to escape being tied up, but strain to no effect, for the moment.
Stock summons his years of martial training, and his astonishing strength, and at once reminds the vines that he benefits from Freedom of Movement and he was just faking it! Stock launches into a demonstration of a fully armed and operational Barbarian, bashing the right Reed to the center, then the left Reed to the center, finishing with a dramatic overhands smash onto both Reeds! (OOC – reedy physical resistance continues, but Stock put a serious hurt on the Reeds!)
Delia again reaches for her quiver, two arrows nearly teleporting into her lithe hand and launching towards the Reed holding the limp and bleeding fisherman at Boat 3, followed by two more in swift succession, the first three striking true, but not dropping the Reed. She whistles, and Hawky floats over to the drowning fisherwoman, pulling her onto the boat with overgrown avian muscles, fortunately at an angle where the woman begins coughing up some water, and then, still conscious, rolls slightly to more fully cough up all the water, and then begins wheezing audibly.
Bartomus assists Hawky, and wanting to help, touches the woman’s mouth and pulls the excess water out of her lungs as his water elemental body attracts the stray pockets of water. She is now breathing normally, without wheezing. (OOC – Hawky handled the heavy lifting, I used your roll for a Heal check in combination with your water elemental body to get her breathing normally.)
Bartomus looks around underwater, and sees that the Reeds each go to a central tangle of Reeds underneath the boat they are near – there are not, for now, eight Reedy monsters, but only four (one floating lifeless to the lakefloor beneath Boat 4 and Bartomus), each of the three remaining tangles stretching two tendrils 10’ to reach above the water, search out prey, and attack! There is also a substantial amount of vegetation on the lakefloor, which is at a depth of 20’ here. Bartomus does not see any additional mobile tangles of reeds… at the moment.
Zanderallen calls for archery support on Boat 3, and then demonstrates why no one should cross the Shields! Stepping into flanking position with Stock, Zanderallen’s fiery blade faces no physical resistance at all from the Reeds, slicing the first one in half, causing a geyser of sap to erupt from its bottom half, and then likewise cleaving the second in twain for good measure, the Reeds losing pints of water to steam as they collapse into the Lake, lifeless.
Armalad’s targets once more fall away before her, this time at the hands of Stock and Zanderallen, leaving only two boats with Reeds, and Stohp seems to have Boat 1 well in hand, so she instead aims at the Reed at Boat 3 not holding the unconscious fisherman (C19), having seen enough to realize each Boat has one “creature” of multiple Reeds, and that if she can kill one Reed, she can kill the whole creature! Armalad recites energetic arcane phrases, her arrows already glowing in her hand, and her enchanted bow hurls them forth, barely striking the Reed, which perhaps was distracted by the effort the other Reed (D22) grappling the Fisherman, and the bolt leaps forth, sizzling its wrath upon the Reed, to full effect, as the Reeds’ grapple distracted it enough that the Reed was unable to dodge even a portion of the bolt! The two arrows each face some physical resistance, but cut in, and there is no resistance to the lightning from the bolt or that imbuing the arrows with electricity. The Reeds, gravely wounded, are still there, and with no foe in reach…
The Reeds at Boat 3, withdraw into the Lake, pulling the limp, bleeding fisherman with them!
(OOC – fully submerged, the Reeds cannot be shot by above-water arrow fire and all of the Shields know this from their past underwater adventures – someone will have to venture beneath the Lake if the Shields have any hope of rescuing this fisherman!)
Bartomus sees the Reeds withdraw and pull the Fisherman under the Lake just a couple dozen feet away, and as they do so, the Tangle of Reeds, shifts, reforms, and many thorny Reeds expose themselves into kind of a makeshift mouth with “teeth” far more deadly than any shark! The Tangle-Mouth is poised to begin its meal early…
Bartomus also sees several Large patches of vegetation beneath the Turtle, 20’ deep, begin to stir and move! Fisherfolk blood has entered the water, and some… things… are awakening! Four Large patches lift free from the Lakefloor and move so that all are 10’ directly beneath the Turtle, the four of them equal in size to the Gargantuan Turtle, and spread their Reeds in silent coordination, like a pack of wolves about to strike down a herbivore!
(OOC –
SHIELDS – only Bartomus is aware of the threat beneath the Turtle, and he really sees two threats – Boat 3’s Tangle of Reeds about to devour the unconscious Fisherman, and four new Tangle of Reeds about to mount an ambush on the Turtle, the Shields aboard, or all at once.)
What do you do?
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+17=33 ; Tuesday February 14th, 2023 8:02:39 AM
With her two targets dealt with Stohp looks around, figuring it can't be that easy. She looks above and below the water trying to find any more threats (perception 33)
Stock (JonM) HP: 248/248; AC: 11/11/10; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 3/38 used d20+20=40 ; Tuesday February 14th, 2023 8:53:00 AM Raging Freedom of Movement Stock takes half a step toward Stohp and realize he can't fit on that boat with the Taur there. He then scans the water line for other targets but sees nothing. He subconsciously wipes water away from his face, apparently the result of an errant splash and gazes into the water, looking for signs of movement from either Bartomus or...anything else.
======== Thanks for the reminder on Freedom of Movement Perception 40
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Tuesday February 14th, 2023 10:57:37 AM
Bartomus didn't like anything that he saw underwater. He shifted and began to twirl his hand in a ever-quicking circle creating a vortex of spinning water he aimed at the gapping thorn mouth and the tendrils pulling the fisherman toward that maul. He thought of lifting or rustling the combined masses upwards towards the surface.
Vortex/Whirlwind - if I read this right, the thornmouth has to make a reflex save of 19 to avoid being caught in the vortex. Also, there may be a -4 penalty, reducing that to 15, if connected to the ground. Again if I am reading all of this right. The goal is to try lifting it toward the surface to make it more visible/attackable.
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Tuesday February 14th, 2023 10:57:37 AM
Bartomus didn't like anything that he saw underwater. He shifted and began to twirl his hand in a ever-quicking circle creating a vortex of spinning water he aimed at the gapping thorn mouth and the tendrils pulling the fisherman toward that maul. He thought of lifting or rustling the combined masses upwards towards the surface.
Vortex/Whirlwind - if I read this right, the thornmouth has to make a reflex save of 19 to avoid being caught in the vortex. Also, there may be a -4 penalty, reducing that to 15, if connected to the ground. Again if I am reading all of this right. The goal is to try lifting it toward the surface to make it more visible/attackable.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+6=16 ; d20+20=36 ; d8+17=20 ; d6=3 ; Tuesday February 14th, 2023 8:06:07 PM
Zanderallen curses as he sees the fisherman pulled under. He pauses only long enough to take a couple deep breathes to fill his lungs before diving into the lake. He swims towards the reeds swinging with all his water hindered might. ‐------------ Divine Bond +5 Flaming Speed Longshore 145 rounds Delay poison turtle 11 hours Lay on Hands 2/13 used
Swim check 16 moving at half speed(20 ft) I think Zander can get under boat 3 and in reach
Standard Attack underwater (-2 to hit, half damage) 36 to hit, 10 damage +3 fire(if it works)
Armalad (Hugh) HP 128/128 AC 21 / Touch 19 / Flat 14 CMD 27 d20+20=22 ; Tuesday February 14th, 2023 8:25:49 PM
Armalad flies higher to get a better vantage point and also surveys the area for threats
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+18=31 ; d20+20=38 ; Wednesday February 15th, 2023 12:18:56 AM Delia: Longstrider 12 hrs, Hawky: Animal Growth 12 min, Stock: Freedom of Movement 120 minutes
Hawky wheels over to the churning waters marking where the fisherman was drug under, shrieking in frustration that he cannot fetch what he was going to.
Delia will take a running leap and hop over to boat 2 (currently +18 acrobatics w/ longstrider for 31 acro), stowing her bow as she lands. She will then stand by to help pull Zander and/or the fisherman out of the water as needed.
================ Move to H21 Ready Action: Grapple 38 to grab anyone friend shaped and wrestle them away from the reeds.
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+9=29 ; d20+9=28 ; d20+10=30 ; d20+15=16 ; d20+15=33 ; d20+15=33 ; d20+15=19 ; d20+16=28 ; d20+16=31 ; d20+16=25 ; d20+16=24 ; d20+16=22 ; d20+16=28 ; d20+16=29 ; d20+16=21 ; 2d8+7=19 ; 2d8+7=14 ; 2d8+7=16 ; 2d8+7=16 ; 2d8+7=13 ; 2d8+7=19 ; d2=2 ; Wednesday February 15th, 2023 6:52:18 AM
Stohp, believing her Reeds dealt with for the moment, sees no further threats above the Lake, and then dunks her head below, so the dawn’s early glare doesn’t reflect off the lakewaters and obscure her distance vision, and as she does so, she sees a placid, empty lakefloor with vegetation slowly waving… and then turning to look underneath the Turtle she sees several large and shadowy tangles of reeds have come loose from the lakefloor, gathering beneath the enormous Turtle, and some reeds have extended from each tangle, rising slowly… cautiously(?) towards all four sides of the Turtle. Stohp’s head is presently underwater.
Stock looks around the Lake, seeing no further threats, but his keen Darkvision eyes work even in the dawn’s early light, and he chances to look down at the water… looks like some vegetation came free from the lakefloor and some reeds are rising slightly faster than the tangles of vegetation and… those are Reeds! Stock is on guard at this potential new threat.
Bartomus’s watery body begins moving rapidly, swimming over to the Tangle of Reeds under Boat 3, which is busy grappling the fisherman. Bartomus’ elemental form shifts into a watery vortex, spinning faster and faster and engulfing the Tangle of Reeds but for the one Reed grappling the Fisherman. The Tangle of Reeds tries to resist being battered about by Bartomus, and avoids being damaged with ease (OOC natural 20 vs. DC 22 for Huge Water Elemental; Lake is 20’ deep, Bartomus is 15’ tall, his vortex need not be connected to the ground.), but then the Bartomus-vortex swirls higher and higher in an attempt to hold the Tangle within Bartomus so he can alley-oop the Tangle onto the Lake’s surface, perhaps even partially on Boat 3, so others can target it, and this attempt also fails, as the Tangle executes a counter-swim! (OOC natural 19, result of 28 vs. DC 22, sorry Bartomus!)
Zanderallen makes a running leaping dive into the water to attack the Reed holding the Fisherman, the weight of his gear helping him fight his natural buoyancy, and as the flaming sword pierces the water, amazingly, the flame stays on, creating a small but constant flow of steam rising to the surface… for now… Zanderallen’s powerful legs propel him forward, his sword in front of him like a spear, and he stabs into the Reed holding the fisherman to great effect!
The Tangle of Reeds, already heavily wounded by the Shields, ceases moving, mostly… unconscious (?), if that even applies to a Tangle of Reeds with a thorny, eviscerating, mouth.
(OOC – (1) Zanderallen’s flaming sword is a third-level magic Fire effect, which requires a DC 23 caster level check; the sword’s level is 10 for this effect, and this round Zanderallen rolled a natural 20, easily making the check. Every round Zanderallen wants to have the Flaming be effective, or “on,” while immersed underwater, Zanderallen needs to roll 1d20+10 vs DC 23.
(2) – with two rounds of flaming sword damage in, Zanderallen is certain the Reeds really hate Fire attacks… the Fire is having slightly more effect than expected.)
Armalad flies higher and looks for more threats, seeing none above the Lake, and then looks down… and sees a mass of floating vegetation around the edges of the Turtle.. with a few reeds coming up from the floating vegetation… perhaps straining towards the surface? Reeds! (OOC – Armalad sees *some* of the same Reeds coming up the left side of the Turtle that Stock has also seen…)
Hawky flies over Boat 3, shrieking.
Delia flexes her leg and back muscles and deftly executes a running leap over the gap, minding it, and lands in Boat 2 on her feet without overturning it, and stowing her bow as she lands! Delia looks for an opportunity to help Zanderallen with the last grappled fisherman.
Stohp’s Reeds continue to struggle ineffectively. (Boat 1’s Reeds are out of the combat at this point. I’ll leave them on the map, but you may safely ignore them… for now.
When Reeds Attack…
The Turtle is blissfully unaware of what is about to happen.
The Four Tangles of Reeds beneath it each pick one of the four Turtle flippers and Attack!!!
Front Left Flipper – Two Reeds grab ahold and constrict tightly (33 damage) Front Right Flipper - Two Reeds grab ahold and constrict tightly (32 damage) Rear Left Flipper – One Reed succeeds and constricts tightly (13 damage) Rear Right Flipper – One Reed succeeds and constricts tightly (19 damage; Turtle has now taken 97 damage, but is still conscious, though heavily wounded as even those on top of the Turtle can see the Reeds wrapped around its flippers.
In mere seconds, the Turtle could be killed and all aboard taken to a watery and Reedy grave!
[OOC – These new four Tangles of Reeds are all 100% underwater and cannot be reached with arrows from above water. Full underwater combat rules continue to apply.]
SHIELDS – What do you do?
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+21=33 ; Wednesday February 15th, 2023 7:19:07 AM
(OOC: I can't seem to find the map link in the last week or so of posts, can you relink?)
Stohp raises her head and calls, "Everyone dive in the enemies are all underwater!" the swims to the nearest reed not tied up. She'll try to grapple again getting 33 this time.
Edit: Somehow this got posted private to DMs.
Stock (JonM) HP: 248/248; AC: 11/9/11; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 4/38 used d20+10=22 ; d20+20=39 ; d20+20=24 ; d10+23=28 ; d10+23=31 ; d6=3 ; Wednesday February 15th, 2023 10:59:29 AM
[b]Raging Freedom of Movement[/i] Seeing the emerging threat, Stock cannonballs into the lake. If he wasn't in a blind rage, he'd be amazed at how easy the swim was.
Targeting the reeds grabbing the front left flipper, he swings his flail with all his considerable might.
======= Swim 22 Current CON is 28 so 56 rounds of breath to start - 2 this round so down to 54 PA hits AC39, threat, AC28 (rolled 25 but forgot critical focus bonus) to confirm Regular damage: 28 + 3 electricity; if it is a crit: 59+3 electricity + sickened for 1 round (sickening critical) Freedom of movement means bludgeoning acts normal underwater Rather than targeting individual reeds, Stock would go for the mass that seems to be the body of the thing...
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+14=22 ; Wednesday February 15th, 2023 1:17:34 PM
Delia takes in the battlefield, weighing her strengths against that of her ally's for a moment, then dives in the water towards Zanderallen. (swim 22) She pulls the fisherman away from him, gesturing emphatically towards the turtle as she takes over pulling the fisherman out of the water.
If she breaks the surface, she will call Hawky to drag him over and onto the nearest boat.
======= Regular movespeed: 30ft Move to Zander and fisherman, take fisherman and pass him off to Hawky as soon as she can. She would then take another breath and get as close to the lake bottom as she can.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+6=23 ; d20+10=17 ; d6=2 ; d6=5 ; d6=2 ; d6=3 ; d6=6 ; d6=4 ; d6=2 ; d20+26=38 ; d8+32=36 ; Wednesday February 15th, 2023 1:56:18 PM
Seeing Delia's gesture Zander let's her take the fisherman and looks at the turtle. He fights to keep a gasp in to not lose any air. He then does several things at once, moving with heroic intent. He channels a wave of positive energy to heal the fisherman just rescued and the turtle but excluding the reeds. He then surges forward to the reeds holding the turtle's nearest flipper. His anger burns unlike his sword as the water douses the flames and he lashes out with Domi's power after having seen the teethed maw and no longer believing these reeds to be natural. ============ Divine Bond +5 Flaming Speed Longshore 144 rounds Delay poison turtle 11 hours Lay on Hands 4/13 used
Standard Action Channel Positive Energy 30' radius selective channel excluding 6 creatures should remove all reeds Boat 2,3,4, and turtle all heal 24 HP
Move Action Swim check 23 to move 10 feet underwater to H20 to reach front right (turtle's perspective) flipper reeds
Swift Action Declare SMITE EVIL on said reed creature IF EVIL +6 to hit and Zander's AC, +15 damage, Ignore DR
Hero Point Standard Action Attack reed creature (Flaming dies with a hiss CL 17 vs DC 23) If Evil - 38 to hit, 18 damage If not Evil - 32 to hit, 10 damage
Armalad (Hugh) HP 128/128 AC19 / Touch 17/ Flat 12CMD 27 d20+2=21 ; d20+15=35 ; d20+15=28 ; d8+2=8 ; d8+2=6 ; d8+2=8 ; Wednesday February 15th, 2023 8:39:08 PM
Armalad fly / swim dive bombs the reed with her spear (it has 20 foot range)
Swim Check: 21
Attack: 35 vs AC; threat of critical if plant can be crit hit; 28 vs AC to confirm crit for 8 damage + 14 crit damage if crit is confirmed
spear is piercing weapon and Armalad made a swim check of 21 so it should attack as normal
Active Effects: Fly - 60 foot fly speed Grease - +10 circumstance bonus to escape artist and combat maneuver checks made to escape grapples Charging - -2 to AC (header updated)
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Wednesday February 15th, 2023 10:04:40 PM
Bartomus growled in frustration as his attempt to disrupt the maul failed. The thing seemed to move and as it did so, the others were attacking the turtle. He hated this situation. He let out the water equivalent of a sigh and then turned his vortex towards the reeds attacking the turtle. He expanded and extended the vortex trying to capture the two main bodies, would it be bodies or clusters, of reads that were streaming upwards and wrapping around one of the turtles.
Vortex attack - 19 to avoid being captured and if I can do it horizontally, I would try to capture two of the reeds attacking the side of the turtle closest to me.
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+9=29 ; d20+9=18 ; d20+9=21 ; d20+9=27 ; 2d6+7=19 ; d6=2 ; d20+16=29 ; d20+16=34 ; d20+15=21 ; 2d8+7=16 ; 2d8+7=14 ; d8+7=13 ; d4=3 ; d20+27=37 ; d20+21=23 ; d20+16=34 ; d20+16=20 ; 2d8+7=14 ; d20+21=24 ; Thursday February 16th, 2023 6:55:33 AM
The Turtle strains, but is only able to free itself from the Top-Right Tangle/Reeds (back left flipper).
Stohp alerts the Shields to the battle having shifted beneath the Lake and swims to the nearest Reeds attacking the Turtle and attempts to grapple the Bottom-Right Tangle/Reeds, and succeeds!
(OOC – There’s a 10’x10’ Tangle of Reeds BENEATH each quarter of the Turtle, and from each Tangle one or two Reeds have latched onto a Turtle Flipper (one per corner of the Turtle) and damaged and grabbed each respective Flipper.
To attack a Tangle/Reeds, move adjacent to a corner of the Turtle on the map, then swim DOWN 10’ to attack horizontally, or 5’ and melee directly below and diagonal to you (“down is towards the enemy!” (-- Ender Wiggins), then take a combat/noncombat action that works underwater.
I am using the map’s orientation to reference, clockwise, Bottom-Left, Top-Left, Top-Right, and Bottom-Right of the Turtle; I do see some of you using “front left flipper” and that’s fine, but when I refer to a particular Tangle/Reeds I’ll use the above naming convention.)
Grysh smiles as Stohp dives in, and slowly begins pulling himself into Boat 1.
Stock cannonballs into the lake, stopping with magical precision horizontal from the Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds, and encounters only the physical resistance of the Tangle itself, still striking true and heavily bruising Reeds within the Tangle, critically breaking a “tooth” or two of the verdant Reedy maw. Stock is unsure what a “sickened” plant would look like, but the Tangle/Reeds is apparently not immune to Stock’s awesome critical skill, as it seems to be moving and reacting poorly in the wake of Stock’s flailing attack!
Delia pauses a half-second, then dives into the Lake, swimming towards Zanderallen, rescuing the drowning and unconscious fisherman, handing him to Hawky to drag him on the Boat to begin coughing up water, all while catching Zanderallen’s attention, waving him on towards the Turtle. Delia then takes a deep breath, readying herself to dive as soon as she can. (OOC – move to swim there, standard action to handle/rescue the Fisherman, free actions to direct Hawky, wave Zanderallen onwards, take deep breath. Well done!)
Zanderallen nods at Delia’s direction, strains to hold his breath as the gruesome attacks on a beloved Turtle unfold, and then moves with heroic intent! Zanderallen channels Domi’s healing energies while on the swim, wounds healing on the Turtle, Stock, and all Fisherfolk within range. Zanderallen swims forward 10’ to the nearest flipper, and down 5’ along the way, reaching the Bottom-Left Reeds, and with a quick mental prayer to Domi to Smite Evil, attacking them alongside Stock. Zanderallen’s sword swings true, heroically striking the Tangle/Reeds, but the flame has gone out and Domi’s blessing does not flare against the Tangle/Reeds, who act with all the viciousness of the kingdom of nature from a deepwelling sense of HUNGRY seen in the rapidly opening and closing thorn-toothy maw, and even… wolf-like cunning (?)… but not apparently from malice… at least not from themselves…
Armalad, poised perhaps 30’ (plus or minus) in the air, surveys the Lake around the Turtle, and then, remembering past underwater adventures where above-water weapons are completely ineffective vs. completely-submerged targets (OOC – total cover for defender underwater), gulps with anticipation and dives towards the Lake, drawing her spear on the way and thrusting it forth before her! The Armalad-spear pierces the Lake with little effort, her lithe legs and flight spell powering her down, down, down into the depths of the Lake, and her spear into the Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds, striking true, but facing some physical resistance from the Tangle/Reeds itself.
Bartomus growls in response to the Tangle/Reeds astoundingly evading all effects of his vortex, but smiles as Zanderallen finishes off the thing. Bartomus turns his attention to the Tangles/Reeds attacking his beloved Turtle, sighs, and in a barely-visible displacement of Lakewater, is soon past Armalad, Stock, and Zanderallen’s melee with the Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds and down to the Lakefloor, 20’ below the Turtle, with the Tangle/Reeds occupying the 11’-15’ height above the Lakefloor. Just enough. His 15’-tall watery form brushes the Bottom-Left and Top-Left tangles as he spins faster and faster until the Vortex forms once more, catching the bulk of the two Large Tangle/Reeds, and the Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds neither is damaged by the vortex nor is it grasped by the vortex. The Top-Left Tangle/Reeds is damaged by the Vortex but is not grasped by it.
The Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds, wounded by three attackers and Sickened by Stock, mildly distracted by a watery vortex, ends its grapple on the Turtle and reaches for Armalad with both Reeds, and since Armalad is in the space (cube) between its 10’ reach and its body, though slightly off to the side, it bites at Armalad too, with its thorn-toothy maw! Armalad’s Greasy form is grabbed twice (14 damage, 12 damage) and mauled by the thorn-toothy maw (11 damage; total of 37 for the round)!
The Top-Left Tangle/Reeds doesn’t know what to make of the watery attack, and holds on for dear life, squeezing the Turtle Flipper further, but this time the Turtle flexes its flipper-muscle and resists the squeezing damage.
The Top-Right Tangle/Reeds had its grapple broken, so it melees again, reaching out twice, and connecting once (14 damage).
The Bottom-Right Tangle/Reeds attempts to squeeze further, but again the Turtle flexes its mighty flipper-muscles and resists the constriction!
SHIELDS – What do you do?
(OOC - edited to give Armalad the benefit of Stock Sickening the Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds, saving Armalad several HP!)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+3=4 ; d20+21=40 ; d20+21=41 ; Thursday February 16th, 2023 7:39:29 AM
Stohp continues to prove to be a grapple champion and is able to pin the creature then attempt a tie up action with the rope she keeps in her backpack - or the next nearest reed (40 to maintain and pin, 31 to tie up). Stohp is not a particularly strong swimmer though and she sinks as she wrestles with the creature (finally remembering to roll swim checks, 4 = fail, she sinks farther down. She can hold her breath for 10 more rounds)
Stock (JonM) HP: 248/248; AC: 11/9/11; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 5/38 used d20+10=17 ; d20+20=29 ; d20+15=28 ; d20+10=19 ; d10+23=33 ; d6=1 ; d10+23=30 ; d6=2 ; d10+23=30 ; d6=6 ; Thursday February 16th, 2023 8:52:53 AM Raging Freedom of Movement Stock does his best to hold his position in the water and continues slamming his flail over and over at the (bottom left) tangle of reeds.
=========== Swim 17, 52 rounds of breath remaining after this round Power Attack 1 hits AC29, 33 damage + 1 electricity Power Attack 2 hits AC28, 30 damage + 2 electricity Power Attack 3 hits AC19, 30 damage + 6 electricity
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+15=19 ; d20+15=34 ; 2d6+7=15 ; 2d6+7=18 ; Thursday February 16th, 2023 3:55:03 PM
He had tried to be nice, really he had. But now that the reeds were turning into sharped-edged munch mouths and not only feeding on turtles, TURTLES EVEN, but now a shield, Bartomus got upset. He bellowed as he slammed into first the TopLeft Reed and then into the one trying to eat Armalad for a mid-day snack.
There is a 15' reach and I think I can hit both reeds, but leave that up to the DM for these slam attacks. 19 on TopLeft for 15, 34 on BottomLeft for 18
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+15=19 ; d20+15=34 ; 2d6+7=15 ; 2d6+7=18 ; Thursday February 16th, 2023 3:55:03 PM
He had tried to be nice, really he had. But now that the reeds were turning into sharped-edged munch mouths and not only feeding on turtles, TURTLES EVEN, but now a shield, Bartomus got upset. He bellowed as he slammed into first the TopLeft Reed and then into the one trying to eat Armalad for a mid-day snack.
There is a 15' reach and I think I can hit both reeds, but leave that up to the DM for these slam attacks. 19 on TopLeft for 15, 34 on BottomLeft for 18
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+6=21 ; Thursday February 16th, 2023 5:50:45 PM
Seeing the danger to their turtle from all corners Zander leave these reed to his allies as he propels himself under the turtle. He strains but the reed remain just out of reach for the moment. He tries to make lots of noise with his kicks and arms as he swims up to distract the reed from the turtle. ================== Divine Bond +5 Flaming Speed Longshore 143 rounds Delay poison turtle 11 hours Lay on Hands 4/13 used Smite Evil 1/5 used
Swim 21 full round action to move half speed to K17, 5 feet below the turtle, 10-ish below the surface I think.
Armalad attempts to escape the grapple with the reed and if possible fly out of the water to set herself up to attempt another diving charge with her long spear next round
Active Effects: Fly - 60 foot fly speed Grease - +10 circumstance bonus to escape artist and combat maneuver checks made to escape grapples
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+14=30 ; Friday February 17th, 2023 12:23:05 AM Delia: Longstrider 12 hrs, Hawky: Animal Growth 11.3 min, Stock: Freedom of Movement 119.4 minutes
Holding Breath: 24 rounds -1 for full round action for 23 remaining
Delia will swim to H22 and angle downward (swim 30), pulling out her bow as she does so.
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+21=34 ; d8+7=12 ; d20+21=35 ; d8+7=13 ; d20+21=39 ; Saturday February 18th, 2023 11:03:29 AM
Stohp, perhaps miffed that the Tangle/Reeds grasping the Bottom-Right flipper ignored her and constricted the Turtle’s flipper harder, redoubles her efforts to put the Tangle/Reeds in its place… though Stohp is not the one being grappled, she adjusts and expertly executes a “pluck” maneuver, grabbing the end of the one Reed holding onto the flipper and unwinding it until the Reed falls off the flipper and then quick as a snake grasping the other Reed that was coming in for the attack, Stohp thrashing the water with powerful kicks to stay in place while she begins wrapping the Reeds together, pinning them. Then with the same quiet expertise she displayed with the first Tangle/Reeds, her powerful hands deftly fly almost faster than the eye can follow as she uses the Reeds to tie them up all the way back to the Tangle and stuffs the yarn-ball of Reeds in the Tangle’s mouth! (OOC – DC 41 for the Tangle to attempt to escape from being Tied-Up)
Stock mildly concentrates on the water feeling like solid ground to fight from and effortlessly begins his full attack routine on the Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds, his air supply running ever lower as he does so… Stock’s first two swings strike true, meeting the usual physical resistance of the strange Tangle/Reeds, but bruising its unnatural body until, following the second strike, it ceases moving, its Reeds fall limp, and Armalad may attempt to extricate herself from the floating verdantry soon enough.
Bartomus… sweet, gentle Bartomus… until his beloved Turtles are attacked! Bartomus’ watery eyes almost glow red with rage, and with an explosion of watery mini-vortices (for how does one bellow underwater without air, which a water elemental does not need?) around the “head” of Bartomus’ formless watery “body,” he notices as his first blow glances off the Top-Left Tangle/Reeds at a bad angle, that the Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds has ceased moving, so he continues his assault on the Top-Left Tangle/Reeds, this time connecting, doing damage, but facing that same physical resistance.
Zanderallen swims past the unmoving Bottom-Left Tangle/Reeds to a position 5’ below the Turtle but 5’ above the remaining Tangle/Reeds, and attempts to draw the attacks of the wolflike HUNGRY foes! The Tangle/Reeds are unmoved by Zanderallen’s performance.
(OOC - Unfortunately, it seems the Tangle/Reeds only respond to at least, or maybe only, two things that the Shields have seen thus far: the need for self-defense, and HUNGRY. Zanderallen, though mighty and muscled, just isn’t as big a dinner plate as the Turtle, or even one of its flippers…)
Armalad prepared for a tough escape, even with her Grease protecting her, but Stock’s expert flail attacks obviated that need. Without the Tangle/Reeds opposing her, she need only strain slightly (move action) to get out of the dead and heavy grasp of the Reeds. Now free, Armalad inwardly groans as she recalls the Fly spell does absolutely nothing to enhance her underwater movement, and she begins swimming towards the surface, confident that if she can only raise but a hand above the waterline, she can once more own the sky.
(OOC – As a courtesy, I repurpose your unneeded grapple check (natural 17), add your swim bonus for a sum of 19 vs. a Calm Water DC of 10. Armalad can swim up to one-quarter her speed (30/4 = 7.5’ = 5’) as a move action. Here, she needs only 5’ movement upward, so she has just enough swimming to do so.)
Armalad is only lightly encumbered, and so has little trouble swimming to and reaching the surface, gasping for air after her brief but intense combat underwater, thankful the Top-Left Tangle/Reeds was so occupied by its flipper “meal” that it did not strike at her as she breached the Lake’s surface tension.
(OOC – Armalad next round may immediately begin Flying up and out of the water etc as normal – horizontal or downward movement *through* the water is still Swim skill, DC 10, movement as above.)
Delia, holding her breath, flips and aiming a bit diagonal towards the Lakefloor, swims head-first towards her underwater destiny, finishing just under the bottom-left of Boat 2, with a clear firing angle at the Tangle/Reeds that are still active and/or tied-up.
(OOC – Delia is Move 40’ under Longstrider, meaning on a successful swim check, 40’ as a full-round action, or 20’ as a move action.
DELIA – I had lost track of you on the map, but I think you were last at F20 rescuing the Fisherman from Zanderallen; the other D was Duluth at Boat 4.
F20 to H22 is 15’ of diagonal movement, and aiming down, you could certainly be 10’ deep from the Lake surface, all as one move action.
As my map may have confused you, your next action may include your remaining standard action from this post, taken before the Reeds’ actions following this paragraph, and then you can proceed into what Delia does during the next round.
Remember – ranged weapons underwater have a range increment of just 5’, so -2 at 10’, -4 at 15’ and so on; feats like Far Shot, which you have, would help vs. this underwater range penalty.)
When Reeds Attack!
The Top-Left Tangle/Reeds are quite upset that Bartomus has punched them with a watery fist! This Tangle/Reeds is upset that the Lake itself is interrupting its feast, but the Lake doesn’t have any tasty flipper-flesh to eat! Thinking to perhaps use the Flipper as cover, the Tangle/Reeds maintains its grapple of the flipper and pulls its Tangly body (and thorny mouth!) up to the Flipper and chomps down hard! (12 damage) The Turtle’s Flipper begins oozing Turtle blood…
The Top-Right Tangle/Reeds continue to attempt to make a meal of its Flipper, maintaining its grapple and pulling its body up to the Flipper and likewise chomping down mercilessly! (13 damage; Turtle at 112 damage so far.) This Flipper begins oozing Turtle Blood as well… the Turtle is still conscious, but losing some light in its eyes, warbling pitifully and helplessly as these underwater terrors steal its lifeblood…
The Bottom-Right Tangle/Reeds, its gnawing hunger desiring to finish the job, to slay and consume the Turtle, strains to reach its thorny maw towards its flipper just 10’ away, but though it strains with all its unnatural might, it just barely fails to escape having been Tied-Up by Stohp, and so its thorny maw, not able to reach quite as far as its Reeds, goes unsatisfied… for now…
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 3d8+15=31 ; Saturday February 18th, 2023 11:49:17 AM
Bartomus really was angered. In his mind, he was roaring as he would on land, but in the depths of the lake, does a roar sound from a water elemental? That was something he would have to someday ask one of the merfolk.
But now, the turtle was fading. He took his time, relying upon his training with the League, he lifted a column of water and extended healing to the poor turtle.
Use feat from WLA for casting while in wild shape to cast Cure Serious Wounds - 31 points of healing
Stock (JonM) HP: 248/248; AC: 11/9/11; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 5/38 used d20+10=30 ; d20+20=26 ; d10+23=32 ; d6=3 ; Saturday February 18th, 2023 2:23:07 PM Raging Freedom of Movement Stock rage swims to another (top left) tangle of weeds and unloads again.
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20=16 ; d20+21=27 ; Sunday February 19th, 2023 12:23:38 PM
Stohp's going to swim up back towards the surface and towards the back flipper. She only gets 15 feet of movement (passed swim check) so may not be able to do more the nsurface, but if she can she'll surface then dive back towards the the next tangle and try to unwrap it from the turtle's flipper (with 10 foot reach as long as the flipper isn't more then 5 below the water and her no more then 10 from the surface she can swim 10 feet up, then 5 feet down and grab the next reed/tangle. 27 to grapple)
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+19=33 ; d20+19=31 ; d20+14=17 ; d20+9=23 ; d8+14=15 ; d6=3 ; d8+14=17 ; d6=4 ; d8+14=19 ; d6=1 ; d8+14=17 ; d6=2 ; Sunday February 19th, 2023 6:48:41 PM (OOC: I did in fact lose track of where I was on the map - thanks! Also, didn't realize Far Shot hit the underwater penalty too!! Longstrider, however, only affects land speed, so my effective move is 30ft for calculating swim distance)
Delia: Longstrider 12 hrs, Hawky: Animal Growth 11.3 min, Stock: Freedom of Movement 119.4 minutes
Holding Breath: 20 rounds remaining
Delia, wanting to plant herself and not move, will spend the extra action last round swimming to J20.
This round, she will fire at the Top-Left Reed Tangle.
================== Modifiers between J22 and L16: 20 feet of water -4, within point-blank range +1, piercing full damage from underwater (auto succeed swim up to 15).
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+19=33 ; d20+19=31 ; d20+14=17 ; d20+9=23 ; d8+14=15 ; d6=3 ; d8+14=17 ; d6=4 ; d8+14=19 ; d6=1 ; d8+14=17 ; d6=2 ; Sunday February 19th, 2023 6:48:41 PM (OOC: I did in fact lose track of where I was on the map - thanks! Also, didn't realize Far Shot hit the underwater penalty too!! Longstrider, however, only affects land speed, so my effective move is 30ft for calculating swim distance)
Delia: Longstrider 12 hrs, Hawky: Animal Growth 11.3 min, Stock: Freedom of Movement 119.4 minutes
Holding Breath: 20 rounds remaining
Delia, wanting to plant herself and not move, will spend the extra action last round swimming to J20.
This round, she will fire at the Top-Left Reed Tangle.
================== Modifiers between J22 and L16: 20 feet of water -4, within point-blank range +1, piercing full damage from underwater (auto succeed swim up to 15).
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Sunday February 19th, 2023 10:22:19 PM
Armalad flies upward getting herself in position for another dive bombed long spear charge attack.
She casts mage armor on herself as well.
Active Effects: Fly - 60 foot fly speed Grease - +10 circumstance bonus to escape artist and combat maneuver checks made to escape grapples Mage Armor : +4 to AC
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+15=21 ; d20+10=28 ; d10+23=28 ; d10+23=29 ; d6=3 ; d6=6 ; d20+27=33 ; d20+16=25 ; d20+16=21 ; d20+15=22 ; 2d8+7=16 ; Monday February 20th, 2023 12:50:24 PM
Bartomus muses on the philosophical question, “when a water elemental shouts underwater, does anyone hear it?” He then shakes his head from his academic reverie and focuses on saving his beloved Turtle, healing it significantly.
Stock rage swim-walks (Freedom of Movement) to the Upper-Left Tangle/Reeds, needing only a ‘five-foot swim’ to do so, which he is magically enabled to do.
(OOC: Stock, you get a full attack here so I’m rolling your 2nd and 3rd attacks; under Freedom of Movement, you don’t need a Swim check at all, and I interpret ‘move and attack normally while underwater’ to grant you the ability to ‘5-foot-swim’ as though it were a ‘5-foot-step.’)
Stock takes advantage of the Top-Left Tangle/Reeds grappling the Turtle to strike three telling blows, each slowed slightly by the plant’s physical resistance, but yet, by however little tenacity or HUNGER, the Top-Left Tangle/Reeds still hangs on to life, and to the tasty Flipper!
Stohp swims to the surface, catching a full breath, and then dives back down five feet, attempting to grapple the Top-Right Tangle/Reeds, but perhaps her good fortune has run out as this Tangle/Reeds cunningly avoids giving Stohp a solid hold.
Delia’s earlier swim finishes (at J20), and, somewhat poised in the calm water, begins unleashing a fusillade of arrows at the Top-Left Tangle/Reeds, her multi-shot slaying it outright as the arrowheads, though slowed by both the water and the plant’s physical resistance, were expertly aimed as well as powerfully launched by Delia’s practiced muscles! Turning to the final Tangle/Reeds, she fires her second shot too soon and it veers wide by a few feet, but finds her aim once again on her final shot, somewhat piercing past the plant’s physical resistance and wounding it for the first time.
(OOC – Far Shot works on range penalties; an underwater crossbow gets a range increment of 20’ for example, while the underwater combat penalty effectively changes all other ranged weapons from a good range increment (e.g. 110’ for composite longbow, IIRC) to just a 5’ range increment as I read it. Far Shot cuts the range penalty in half which isn’t great compared to a 110’ range increment, but is an improvement.
I misread on Longstrider – swim is calculated off of your base speed, but you’re correct that Longstrider contains exclusionary text forbidding one from adding it to swim.)
Armalad flies up, readying her spear on the way, and then casts Mage Armor on herself.
Zanderallen appears mesmerized by the hypnotic Brownian motion of the remaining Tangle/Reeds.
The Turtle strains to free itself from the final Tangle/Reeds, and succeeds!
The Top-Right Tangle/Reeds still Hungers, and draws in close, grabbing with two Reeds and its Toothy Maw chomping down over and over, trying to tear sweet victuals from the Turtle’s Flipper! It hits with but one Reed and the bite barely fails to puncture the Turtle’s Flipper. (16 damage; Turtle at 97 damage, including accounting for Bart’s heal) The Turtle is once more grappled and a painfully-warbled cry issues forth, curdling your blood, were it possible.
SHIELDS – What do you do?
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+10=27 ; d20+20=33 ; d20+20=30 ; d20+15=16 ; d20+10=26 ; d8+18=26 ; d6=2 ; d8+18=20 ; d6=3 ; d8+18=19 ; d6=6 ; Monday February 20th, 2023 5:51:39 PM
Zanderallen wills his anger into his sword and is answered with a stream of bubbles as the heat rekindles. He almost lets out a yell of triumph but remembers just in time he's underwater and instead just roars in his mind. He unleashes as savage series of attacks, even hindered. ================ Divine Bond +5 Flaming Speed Longshore 141 rounds Delay poison turtle 11 hours Lay on Hands 4/13 used Smite Evil 1/5 used
Full round attack on Top Right Reed -2 to hit, half damage Spellcraft 27 for Flaming this round 33 to hit, 13 damage + 2 Fire 30 to hit, 10 damage + 3 Fire 16(Nat 1) misses 26 to hit, 9 damage + 6 Fire
Breath -2 rounds - 1 action 18 rounds remaining
Stock (JonM) HP: 248/248; AC: 11/9/11; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 6/38 used d20+20=33 ; d10+23=28 ; d6=5 ; Monday February 20th, 2023 6:11:45 PM Freedom of Raging Movement Stock continues to tread water and swims to join big Z at the last enemy, swinging his flail over and over.
======= 48 rounds of breath remaining - he could do this all day! Move - Swim over to the top right maw...that doesn't look like 5 feet this time. Power Attack hits AC33, 28 damage + 5 electricity
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC23 / Touch 17/ Flat 16 CMD 27 d20+2=11 ; d20+15=35 ; d20+15=20 ; d8+2=4 ; d8+2=8 ; d8+2=6 ; Monday February 20th, 2023 8:22:20 PM
Armalad fly-charges / dive bombs the reeds that are still threatening the Turtle
Swim : 11
Charge attack with Spear: 35 vs AC; threat of critical; 20 vs AC to confirm; 4 damage + 14 damage if crit is confirmed
Active Effects: Fly - 60 foot fly speed Grease - +10 circumstance bonus to escape artist and combat maneuver checks made to escape grapples Mage Armor : +4 to AC Charging: -2 to AC
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 3d8+15=35 ; Monday February 20th, 2023 11:37:23 PM
Bartomus continued his touch of the turtle in order to provide healing to it while the other Shields beat the reed mawl with their weapons. The blows were landing with such ferocity that he suspected the final attack reed would soon be floating about in the lake as well.
Using 2nd CSW on the turtle for 35
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+21=34 ; d20+21=26 ; Tuesday February 21st, 2023 7:16:17 AM
Should the tangle near Stohp still live she'll go for the grapple again, 34 to grapple and 26 to try to pin (or to fail to grapple if the first is to low)
We got you, buddy, Delia thinks to the turtle as she unleashes on the offending tangle, firing 4 well aimed arrows in quick succession, but a current catches her last arrow and she can't get it on the string and stable in time.
Hawky, still perched protectively next to the last fisherman pulled out of the water, joins the big-slow-shell with a mournful cry.
================== Modifiers between J22 and L16: 20 feet of water -4, within point-blank range +1, piercing full damage from underwater (auto succeed swim up to 15).
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+15=16 ; d20+10=12 ; Tuesday February 21st, 2023 1:52:21 PM
Zanderallen snaps free of the mesmerizing motions of the final Tangle/Reeds and summons his anger at the Tangle/Reeds unceasing attempts to make Turtle Soup into a (kind of?) devastating flaming full attack… Slash!…Slash!…bubbly steam…Slash! There are only burbles underwater, but the Tangle/Reeds seems most unhappy about weapons both flaming and slashing, even those slowed by swinging through the Lakewater…
Stock swim-five-foot-steps to join Zanderallen in melee with the final Tangle/Reeds and unslowed by the water begins his bruising assault, striking just to the south of Zanderallen, as the Tangle/Reeds is so Large, with great effect on the first hit, slowed by the usual physical resistance, and overcommitting on the second and missing it entirely, and then likewise on the final swing.
Armalad once more prepares to spearfish a Tangle/Reeds, flying down faster and faster the proud woman with a big spear falls, splitting the water tension asunder in a strong effort to bring death to her enemy, striking the Tangle solidly but narrowly missing a weak spot in the grappling plant, yet despite the solid strike the spearpoint fails to make it past the plant’s physical resistance.
Bartomus continues to significantly heal the Turtle!
Stohp changes her tack and sneaks in a grapple this time, but fails to pin the Tangle/Reeds.
Delia thinks she’s getting used to this underwater archery thing… if she’s not careful an archery school might hire her away from the Shields… Delia’s hand motions would be invisible but for the water slowing her slightly and tiny rising air bubbles flung off by the force of her drawstring pulls! Burble…muted thunk…burble…muted thunk…burble…muted thunk…burble…quiet…
After Delia’s multi-shot, the last Tangle/Reeds’ grip on the Turtle’s Flipper falls lax just as Delia’s second shot strikes true and a final muted underwater geyser of strange sap spews forth.
Calm falls across the watery battlefield.
(OOC – Combat is over. Spells lasting 1 minute/level or longer are still running, should you want to use them.
The Turtle is still heavily wounded, but there is light in its eyes. Bartomus, Delia, and Armalad, all knowledgeable of Natural things, can see there’s still a pained expression in its head movements and lackluster Flipper movement. It’s scared, but less scared than when it almost died. It dunks its head in the water and looks down, perhaps looking for the source of the strange light that saved it from dying and made it feel better.
(OOC – Those Shields who’ve put a lot of ranks in Heal skill – the Turtle needs more healing if you expect it to carry everyone back to the Float, and maybe tow one or more of the fishing boats too – the surviving fisherfolk are physically healed, but still in battleshock. Some counseling may be in order before they can all be rounded up and taken back to the Float for rest.)
One Fisherman still has a significant physical wound.
Looking around, counting the living, the fisherfolk have clearly lost some workers – there’s not quite enough fisherfolk to crew all four boats.
Looking at the bits of viscera left on the boats… the viscera floating on the surface, some… larger… chunks of viscera on the Lakefloor 20’ below…
Delia notices a pattern… (For Delia’s Eyes Only) Highlight to display spoiler: {a trail of viscera going off into the distance on the Lakefloor to the North, where the Lakefloor falls deeper again perhaps 150’ away before vision fails from the refraction of the water and the increasing depth… tracks… a trail… of horror…}
A fisherman’s voice on Boat 3 suddenly gets louder and louder, “Blasted durned weeds… some crazy plant on my hook… just cut my thumb! It’s… eating it? I’ll show it… Aieeeeee!!!!!”
SHIELDS – what do you do?
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+6=8 ; d20+6=12 ; d20+26=37 ; Tuesday February 21st, 2023 2:05:31 PM
As the last of the reeds drift away to lifeless husks Zander gives a thumbs up to Stock and fights his way to the edge of the turtle to pull himself out of the water. He struggles a bit but finally manages it. Seeing some remaining injuries he takes a deep breath and channels forth a wave of soft white light. He decides firm guidance is the best measure at the moment. There will be time for grief on shore, "Deep breathes everyone, let Domi's grace wash over you. Everyone gets your boats in order, we need to get back to the Float."
When he gets a moment he pulls Delia as far to the side as can be managed and whispers to her very quietly, "There's no chance anyone pulled over... No." His shoulders droop as he fully admits the truth to himself, "Any chance of recovering any bodies?" ======================== Swim, 8 and 12
Diplomacy 37 to calm and get everyone working
Stock (JonM) HP: 248/248; AC: 11/9/11; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 7/38 used Tuesday February 21st, 2023 3:06:13 PM Raging Freedom of Movement Stock swims to the surface and takes a welcome breath. He climbs up the side of the turtle and looks over to the third boat to see who or what is talking.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+20=26 ; d4=4 ; d20+24=38 ; Tuesday February 21st, 2023 8:23:01 PM
Armalad takes 10 on her swim check to get back to the surface then flies the rest of the way over to either one of the boats or the turtle.
Still not really healer she sees if there is anything she can do to help.
If she is near the fisherfolk complaining about the plant she tries to figure out what it is
Perception: 26 Know[Nature]:38
Active Effects: Fly - 60 foot fly speed Grease - +10 circumstance bonus to escape artist and combat maneuver checks made to escape grapples Mage Armor : +4 to AC
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+21=39 ; d20+21=35 ; Wednesday February 22nd, 2023 7:08:15 AM
Stohp maintains the grapple before pinning and tying up the thing (44 to maintain, 30 to pin (+5 for maintaining, -10 for using rope)
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+14=24 ; Wednesday February 22nd, 2023 9:23:47 AM
Delia, seeing the trail of sorrow leading down, takes a moment underwater to collect herself before bursting to the surface.
Making sure only Shields could hear her, she informs them, "I saw a trail of blood leading deeper into the lake. I know we aren't perfectly equipped, but if we don't follow it soon it will be washed away. There's no way any of the missing Lads survived, and there won't be much to recover, but there might be some more reeds at the end of that trail."
She lets the others deal with the upset man, swimming to the turtle's face and soothing it (Handle Animal or Wild Empathy 24 (20 if it's a magical beast with 2 or lower int))
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+16=22 ; d20+16=17 ; Wednesday February 22nd, 2023 10:14:43 AM
Bartomus heard what Delia said and raised a watery hand up out of the water. He pointed at Delia and gave a thumbs-up sign while also trying to speak in his watery form. "Got it and will scout it out."
He scanned the water below and thinking he picked up on the trail, he moved in that direction.
Perception to find the blood trail, perception in that area - first was a 22, second was a natural one for 17
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Wednesday February 22nd, 2023 8:05:44 PM
Zanderallen gives a thumbs-up to Stock on the way to pulling himself out of the water and onto the Turtle. Zanderallen sends out healing energy again, healing the last wounded fisherman and some of the serious wounds that remain on the Turtle. (and excluding the two Tangle/Reeds that Stohp Tied Up, the Bottom-Right Tangle/Reeds and the Tangle/Reeds under Boat 1) He considers the situation, and spreads very inspirational words (which helps in the short-term, but battleshock requires extended counseling to treat), and then pulls Delia aside for a reality check on the victims.
Stock also breaks the Lake’s surface, likewise climbing up and onto the Turtle, and realizes there’s some shouts and screams from Boat 3. From this distance, Stock sees an agitated fisherman jumping around in his boat in a panic and large red droplets flying into the air from one hand. The Fisherwoman in the boat is also in a panic but trying to get him to calm down, and some of his red splatters are getting on her.
Armalad swims to the surface, wounded but alive, and then calls upon her magical flight to take to the skies once more! Her attention drawn by the scene on Boat 3, Armalad flies to within 10 feet to get a better understanding of the situation. She sees what Stock and others on the Turtle saw, but also that there’s some kind of small green plant, no more than six inches long, which has opened to reveal a two-inch wide scarlet center with several spikes each about half an inch long, and the tiny plant seems to be doing its best to… eat(?)… the fisherman’s thumb, which is a bit of a bloody mess right now as the plant holds on, trying to draw the thumb into some sort of digestive orifice…
Armalad thinks deeply about what kind of plant… monster(?)… it might be, but if it’s been in the Wold a while, she hasn’t heard of it. Yet, a memory tingles at the back of her mind. The Float does have a library or two… of sorts… perhaps some time spent researching might jog her memory…
Stohp has not forgotten that two Tangle/Reeds are still very much alive, if moving little as they still struggle to escape, their thorny maws sometimes rotating and snapping as if to mime making Stohp their next meal! Stohp finds that using rope is not quite as effective as using the Reeds to tie themselves up, but as the Reeds can still move and strain, and are HUNGRY, they might escape sometime soon…
Delia minutely shudders at the implications of the trail of blood and viscera leading deeper underwater, then surfaces and gathers the Shields alone to her, telling them what she saw and her concerns for time… blood would surely wash away, the bits of viscera… eventually, but it’s impossible to tell whether that’s sooner or later. She directs the rest of the Shields to help Armalad with the fisherman in Boat 3 and swims to the Turtle, calming the Turtle as Zanderallen heals it.
Bartomus hears Delia, and gestures and says to her that he’ll check out the trail. With Delia’s guidance, what looked at first the detritus of an underwater battlefield, now was an ever-thinning shape that led to the depths, bits of sheared flesh and bone here and there… Heal Check DC 20: {Highlight to display spoiler: {consistent with the rotating thorny maws of the Tangle/Reeds…}}
Bartomus begins swimming to follow the trail, with no idea how far it goes, and perhaps about to learn how deep Turtle Lake can be… he swims north-ish under and past the Turtle, and soon reaches the shallow (20’ deep) Lakefloor’s edge – from here it falls to 30’ deep immediately, and then deeper still!
BARTOMUS – the farther and deeper you go, the more the trail of “fleshcrumbs” begins to lessen… - Make ONE Perception check and apply it to both of the following tasks:
Perception DC 15: {Highlight to display spoiler: {The Lakefloor has a short line of 3’-wide rocks/boulders ahead, and there are three sets of viscera to the left of the rocks and one set to the right.}}
Perception DC 20: {Highlight to display spoiler: {There is a hard-to-see trail of viscera going from the three spots on the left towards and on top of the rocks and then to the one spot on the right, and then the trail goes forward to the right.}}
BARTOMUS – Do you follow the left trail or the right trail?
The Tied-Up Bottom-Right Tangle/Reeds, were it to have eyes, would be glaring at Stohp, but instead its thorny maw rotates, chomps and it strains to escape…
Likewise the Tied-Up Boat 1 Tangle/Reeds does the same, orienting its thorny maw also at the nearby Stohp…
The fisherman, still trying to shake the plant thing off, suddenly sees Armalad and shouts, “Shields, HELP MEEEEEEEE……Aieeeee!!!!” as the strange plant moves a half-inch up the man’s thumb… consuming… it?
SHIELDS – What do you do?
Mitch (Subbing for Hugh) Thursday February 23rd, 2023 7:05:17 AM
Armalad will move over and try to help the fisherman get the tiny plant off his thumb.
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Thursday February 23rd, 2023 7:05:55 AM
Stohp will climb onto a boat and take a head count - how many people are missing or dead?
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 12/10/12; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 7/38 used d20+20=26 ; Thursday February 23rd, 2023 8:56:55 AM Freedom of Movement, Fatigued for 14 rounds Stock continues watching the fisherman and now Armalad helping with it. [b]"Taran - can you bring the turtle alongside the third boat there? I'd like to help if I can.
======= If Taran can get us close enough, Stock will move onto boat 3 and try to grapple the little plant CMB=26 vs CMD
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+16=30 ; d20+16=32 ; Thursday February 23rd, 2023 10:45:43 AM
Bartomus looked at the trail and saw something heading off to the rocks and then right. The trail went even further to the right and Bartomus decided to follow it. He created a watery fin to create a ripple within the water so the Shields could see where he was heading. As he went further along the trail to the right, he scanned the water and lake bed for any further signs.
Perception - 30; Perception32
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 d20+6=20 ; d20+10=16 ; d20+20=25 ; d8+18=20 ; Thursday February 23rd, 2023 12:11:33 PM
As the turtle starts to move Zander sees the tied up tangles struggling underneath them and decides to go take care of them while the others get the fisher man cared for. As long as they're not panicking longer term issues can be handled on shore. He jumps off the turtle and start with the bottom right flipper tangle. ========================= Swim 20
Attack - Spellcraft 16 no fire 25 to hit, 10 damage
(Let me know if we need me to keep rolling attacks, Zander will hack the reeds until they stop moving and trying to eat him)
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+13=14 ; d20+15=26 ; d20+10=21 ; d8+18=21 ; d8+18=20 ; Thursday February 23rd, 2023 10:11:22 PM
Armalad flies adjacent to the fisherman, drawing her quarterstaff along the way, and takes a swing at the thing, completely missing it as the fisherman yowps with pain and shakes his arm vigorously!
Stohp begins counting… as a long-time Float resident, she knows this kind of “fleet” is two people per boat, the rest of the room for tools and the day’s haul, four boats, should be eight fisherfolk. One.. two.. six. There’s six. Also while Grysh and Duluth have been rescued, Taran and the others reported Jerma Mylyl and Triggan were taken under… so if the count is right, four are missing in total… but best to ask and confirm.
Stock calls for Taran to bring the Turtle over to Boat 3. The Turtle is still wounded, but Zanderallen’s last heal…
Any Shield: Heal DC 20 Highlight to display spoiler: {The Turtle is mostly healed, but not moving with full ability. More healing is needed to restore the Turtle’s body and confidence (OOC – another 37 HP worth of healing)}
Taran gets the Turtle to turn towards Boat 3, and to begin slowly swimming.
As the Turtle slowly moves towards Boat 3, Stock suddenly remembers he still has Freedom of Movement and can swim to Boat 3 easily no matter how fatigued he is.
Bartomus’ watery eyes are still keen, and the fleshcrumb trail noticeable enough that, once Delia pointed it out he can easily follow it, though not without effort.
Bartomus flows on as the Lakefloor depth falls below 50’… 65’… 80’… then levels out for a good distance… northish(?) if Bartomus’ memory and sense of direction are correct.
A seaweed/reedy “forest” about 5’ tall and 100’ wide and 200’ or more long is ahead and the fleshcrumbs lead into it. Following the trail is about to get trickier…
BARTOMUS – Perception DC 25 Highlight to display spoiler: { the viscera become very hard to see among the weed/reed “forest” but you’ve followed the trail through and out of the “forest” more northish, and it leads to an even vaster weedy/reedy forest ahead, and there’s a “town” of many weedy/reedy “buildings” unless your eyes and the gently-moving Lakewater are playing tricks on you. The trail of viscera comes to an end 300’ from this “town.” Perhaps a home… or… breeding ground (?) for Tangle/Reeds? The size of the “town…” there could be dozens or hundreds of Tangle/Reeds inside… or few… where do they come from… how do they spawn? It’s large enough that the Shields probably need to plan an expedition and not hold their breath, dive, and hope for the best…}
BARTOMUS – If you failed the above check, then read the following…Highlight to display spoiler: {You lose track of the viscera amongst the “forest” and spend a lot of time circling the edges and going in and out… then become concerned your watery body and motion might have swept viscera under the “forest…” hard to say. In the distance, at the edge of your vision, there are perhaps more weedy/reedy “forests” to the northish, westish, and eastish… you can pick one and press on, or head back and perhaps the Shields can plan an expedition and those with sharper eyes may pick out the trail you’ve lost…}
Zanderallen notices Taran slowly getting the Turtle moving, but (see Heal Check further above)… Then Zanderallen sees the two Tied Up Tangle/Reeds… not evil, but perhaps a worse danger to the Float than a pack of crazed rabid sharks with adamantine teeth… Zanderallen pulls out his sword and gets to work, and it is work – Zanderallen didn’t have far to swim/five-foot-drop-sploosh(!) to begin a full attack routine, but swords are not the best underwater weapon and after six seconds Zanderallen determines he’s wounded it not quite a third of the way there.
Delia continues soothing and encouraging the Turtle in an effort to speed it along towards Boat 3, but is beginning to wonder if she’d be more effective just swimming over there and killing the tiny plant…
Everyone on the Turtle (which is slowly moving away) saw Zanderallen leap in and through the calm water see him slashing away at the Tangle/Reeds. He’ll get the job done, but it’d go faster with some help.
The fisherman shrieks, “Get it off… GET it OFF… GET IT OFF… Aieeee!!!!!!” The fisherwoman also shrieks, looking around for something, anything, that would let her hurt the plant without hurting the fisherman…
More blood splatters… The plant has moved up the fisherman’s full thumb… or does he still have a thumb any more?
Other fisherfolk scattered around the Turtle and the Boats are beginning to panic too, shouting “Shields, don’t you care that he’s dying right in front of you?”
SHIELDS – what do you do?
Armalad (Mitch subbing for Hugh) d20+13=24 ; d6=6 ; Friday February 24th, 2023 8:23:43 AM
Armalad continues to try to help the fisherman (attack roll 24, 9 damage to the thumb monster since that's apparently needed? Also, Hugh's power is still out)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) d20+16=32 ; d10=3 ; Friday February 24th, 2023 8:25:07 AM
Stohp divirts to also help the screaming fisherman. 32 to hit the thumb monster and 4 damage.
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 12/10/12; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 7/38 used d20+10=21 ; d20+20=36 ; Friday February 24th, 2023 9:10:47 AM Freedom of Movement, Fatigued for 12 more rounds Stock sighs and dives back in the water, swimming to the third boat and climbing aboard.
======= Swim 21 If Stock has enough movement to get there in 1 move action he will then try to grab the thing since I can't imagine attacking it with a heavy flail. CMB 36 vs CMD
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 d20+16=30 ; d20+16=28 ; Friday February 24th, 2023 10:43:07 AM
He continued his swimming in the form made out of water. He enjoyed it and kept his attention focused and worked his way through the forest. He looked up and saw the light coming down through the green and reveled in the same sense of wonder that he felt standing in a forest on land and looking up. He turned back and followed the trail and stopped.
He gulped and took in the site of the town, was that what it actually was? He studied it. Then sighed. This was a much bigger problem. He committed the layout to memory and then turned back southward. He swam as quickly as his borrowed form could take him. He moved closer to the surface to scan for the turtle and the boats. Then headed that way.
Perception 30 for following the visceral trail; Percetion 28 for finding the way back to the turtles.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+14=20 ; Friday February 24th, 2023 11:34:45 AM (Ooc sorry for missed: I did that thing where you formulate a message in your head and then it never makes it to reality, but I would have spent another turn trying to cheer up the turtle anyway)
(Heal 20) Delia pats the turtle a couple more times, murmuring, "You'll be ok, buddy." then takes a breath and dives to help Zander with the remaining tangles. She figures that's better than firing arrows through a man's thumb.
She'll spend this round getting 10ft from both tangles if she can (30ft movement for double move, autosucceed on swim)
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 Saturday February 25th, 2023 8:50:10 AM
Completely unaware of what's happening on the surface Zander continues his work of hacking apart the dangerous reeds. "Where could they have come from?" He thinks to himself as he hacks the tough sinew like reeds apart.
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+5=20 ; Saturday February 25th, 2023 12:00:56 PM
Armalad recovers her balance and staves the tiny plant off the fisherman’s thumb, or what remains of it – too much blood to tell!
(OOC – yes, at least one successful attack was necessary… I rolled a natural 1 for Armalad last post…)
The tiny plant is slowly rolling around on the boat’s floor when Stohp arrives and, one hand hanging onto the boat and the other landing a vicious overhead strike, smooshes it with her flail! The tiny plant has ceased rolling around.
Stock then arrives, in time to see the squished tiny plant on the boat floor, and notices that Stohp’s flail strike has broken off some of its tiny half-inch thorns, which look particularly pointy and sharp.
Bartomus successfully follows the ever-fainter trail of viscera and discovers what may or may not be some kind of… underwater plant-town(?)… or maybe a plant-building or two amongst a building-complex-like weed/reed forest? Bartomus determines this would be a significant investigation to find any more Tangle/Reeds amongst the trail’s end. He spins around and nearly surfaces, beginning the swim back to the Turtle and the Boats.
(OOC - Bartomus is not yet back to the Turtle and Boats, and so has one post to muse about his situation before rejoining the Shields.)
Delia finishes cheering up the Turtle, and then sees about picking a close-but-not-too-close position from which to execute ‘impossible’ underwater archery on the remaining Tangle/Reeds. She then gets off just one shot, but two arrows in her hand, as she finds her spot.
Zanderallen continues hacking away at the Tangle/Reeds in front of him while pondering the origins of these somewhat alien, if not unnatural, foes… no, not foes, menaces to the people and animals of the Float, if not the Wold…
(OOC – I’m going to use the law of averages here since no one is in any immediate danger, but this is a job that needs doing and is a bit tedious underwater.)
Delia and Zanderallen together get this Tangle/Reeds most of the way to death, and expect to progress faster once Delia can unleash her usual fusillade.
Before the eyes of Armalad, Stohp, and Stock the man continues to howl as blood leaks from his injured thumb… and then… then the man’s forearm begins turning blood-red, as though his blood were leaking from his very pores! “Noooo….. my blood…. My liiiiiifee…..!!!! Heal me, Shields! Cure me![/b]”
Heal Check DC 20: Highlight to display spoiler: {The reaction of the man’s forearm to the tiny plant’s attack… it must be a poison of some sort. Thankfully the plant was tiny, so Heal Check DC 15 to treat the poison; it’s of a type that requires two successful saving throws to cure, and the fisherman has already succeeded once, though the second success is not guaranteed…}
SHIELDS – What do you do?
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Sunday February 26th, 2023 2:35:05 AM How could there be a city of those things?" Bartomus asked himself as he continued to swim in the direction of the slow moving turtle. He thought about what he had seen and it became apparent to him that they were going to need to do some research on these things. He almost wondered if there was a way to haul one of the dead ones in a net back to the Float and ask some of the learned scholars to come assess what it was. Or, maybe ask the merfolk what the things were. He nodded in agreement with that idea and came up to where the turtle was at.
He scanned the surface and got as close as he could to the turtle before changing back into his Taurish self. Then pulled himself up onto the giant creature as carefully as possible.
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Sunday February 26th, 2023 2:35:08 AM How could there be a city of those things?" Bartomus asked himself as he continued to swim in the direction of the slow moving turtle. He thought about what he had seen and it became apparent to him that they were going to need to do some research on these things. He almost wondered if there was a way to haul one of the dead ones in a net back to the Float and ask some of the learned scholars to come assess what it was. Or, maybe ask the merfolk what the things were. He nodded in agreement with that idea and came up to where the turtle was at.
He scanned the surface and got as close as he could to the turtle before changing back into his Taurish self. Then pulled himself up onto the giant creature as carefully as possible.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 Sunday February 26th, 2023 2:51:00 PM
Zanderallen stays under to finish the job. These things were the stuff of nightmares to a guy who grew up on a floating city.
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Sunday February 26th, 2023 6:46:54 PM
Stohp dives into the water and motions frantically to get Zanderallen's attention. They need magical healing assistance here.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+14=24 ; Sunday February 26th, 2023 8:02:56 PM
Seeing Stohp's frantic motioning, Delia will surface and ask what's happening.
Assuming it's explained, she'll head over to the screaming man and examine him or give her assessment from hearing/seeing what's happening as soon as she can. (Heal 24)
Armalad does not really know the healing arts however she does know nature (Know: Nature - 28)
If her knowledge of nature is sufficient she tells everything she knows to the rest of the party
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 12/10/12; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 7/38 used d20+4=16 ; Monday February 27th, 2023 8:26:15 AM Freedom of Movement, Fatigued for 11 more rounds Stock does what he can to help the man. When Delia climbs on board, he says, "Glad you came. I don't think Armalad or I know how to help here.
========= Aid Delia on healing 16
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) d20+5=21 ; Monday February 27th, 2023 1:34:05 PM
“How could there be a city of those things?” Bartomus wonders to himself on the swim back… but is the weedy/reedy forest full of Tangle/Reeds, or is it just a large convenient place to hide? Perhaps the Shields can figure this one out together!
Bartomus flows to the Turtle, finally reaching it while it’s in motion towards Boat 3, and the passengers are briefly startled until the mini-tsunami reaching onto the Turtle turns into a familiar face!
Zanderallen continues to work on the Tangle/Reeds under Boat he’s almost there, but probably needed Delia’s arrows to finish it right now.
Stohp hears the plaintive cry for help and dives into the water to get Zanderallen to help.
Delia surfaces to find out the commotion, aiming diagonally for the moving Turtle. As Delia takes a dolphin breath, Taran quickly explains it to her, and then Delia swims towards Boat 3. She is just able to get there and put her hands on the boat’s railing, pulling herself up enough to see the man’s blood-red forearm, and shouts “It’s poison! Help pull me up so I can treat him faster!”
(OOC – Delia, you now know the spoilered text for the heal check in the prior DM post)
Armalad has not seen anything like this before, but since it happened after the tiny plant’s attack, natural causes might include disease or poison. She can’t rule out either, though if forced to place a bet, it would be on poison, or an allergy, or something that causes an immediate reaction… poison ivy? Well, maybe another Shield knows the answer for certain. All that’s certain for now is the bleeding/oozing/whatever the tiny plant did to the fisherman! Armalad then hears Delia burst forth from the water and with the merest of glances call it poison!
Stock and Armalad then help Delia on board. The boat’s feeling it with four onboard (Armalad can fly), but Delia is even more certain now that it’s poison as she is within feet of the fisherman.
The fisherman’s arm… remains blood-red but either the poison ran its course or he’s a hardy old salt! “Owww… it stopped… but it still hurts! Shields, do you have any magic or herbs or something so it won’t get worse? What was that thing?!?”
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Monday February 27th, 2023 3:43:58 PM
Bartomus started to change into his Taur self and then heard the call for some help with a crusty old fisherman. He shifted back into the water elemental and swam over to the boat. He shifted about and then popped up a potion bottle at the group gathered around the man. A long watery tentacle dropped it into the man's lap as the water dissipated.
Cure moderate wounds potion 2d8+2
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Monday February 27th, 2023 10:23:00 PM
Armalad says, "My magic is limited to mostly offensive magic. Are any of our healers aboard who can maybe help the fisher folk?"
She then flies gently above the turtle so as not to overwhelm it
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+14=28 ; d20+13=18 ; Monday February 27th, 2023 11:25:52 PM
Delia pats the man on the shoulder, leaving a wet handprint, "You had it under control." She will then verify that he really does have it under control (Heal 28).
She wrings the water out of her cloak as she goes to examine the extra angry plant. She will use an arrow to poke and prod and get a good look and see if she can drum up any additional knowledge about what the little plant might be (Know Nature 18).
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Tuesday February 28th, 2023 6:23:21 AM
Stohp realizes someone else has gone up to help the fisherman and pulls herself back onto the boat.
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 12/10/12; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 7/38 used Tuesday February 28th, 2023 8:49:59 AM "Water Bart - Good to see you back. Did you find anything below?"
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 7d6=30 ; d20+15=20 ; d20+15=23 ; Tuesday February 28th, 2023 1:17:35 PM
Seeing Stohp Zanderallen immediately stops his hacking and moves to follow her. When he reaches the surface he follows the directions to the boat. "Help me up and give him some space." Hearing the explanation of disease or poison he doesn't mess around to figure it out, Domi's power would cleanse both. His hand glows with a gentle white light as he takes the man's forearm. "This may burn a little, that is Domi's power removing any toxins remaining." ------------------------- Lay on Hands will heal him 30 HP, remove Shaken, Blindness, Fatigue, Exhaustion, any Poison with a Save DC of 20 or lower, and any disease with a DC of 23 or lower. 5/13 used
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) 2d8+2=18 ; Tuesday February 28th, 2023 1:23:27 PM
Bartomus was just getting fully on the Turtle when he heard and then saw the commotion on Boat 3, and, setting a potion on the Turtle first, immediately flowed back into watershape, picked up the potion, and flowed off the Turtle, towards Boat 3, extending a watery tentacle as he approached, to drop the potion bottle into the fisherman’s lap.
(OOC – you must fully assume Taur form to retrieve any of your equipment, as it all melded with you into wild shape. I granted your post, of course, just the timing of actions were adjusted to conform to how wild shape works.)
Armalad asks for Shields’ healers to come help, then flies to the Turtle, hovering above it.
Delia encourages the Fisherman, and indeed her keen skill in the healing arts tells her that the poison has passed, though there is damage (and lost blood) to be healed. It could have been much worse had he not led such a hardy life. Delia looks at the little plant and considers… but it seems unfamiliar. Perhaps a sage or a library on the Float might know something, or perhaps one of the other Shields?
Stohp, her mission accomplished, pulls herself onto Boat 1.
Stock calls out to Bart, asking what he learned in the deep…
Zanderallen finishes off the Tangle/Reeds under Boat 1 and surfaces, catching a breath or three before looking around to prepare to go after the other Tangle/Reeds still under the Turtle.
The fisherman looks at the fisherwoman, who uncorks the potion, considers the source, and then hands it to the fisherman in his undamaged arm, who then drinks it… (OOC - heals 18 hp) the last little issuances of blood heal up. Apparently and finally pain-free, he reaches into the water with his bloodied arm and begins rubbing off the blood with the other.
The Turtle finally makes it adjacent to Boat 3.
As the fisherman does so, he looks up and around at Delia and the watery thing and the other Shields on the Turtle, and says, somewhat loudly, and loud enough for the now-adjacent Turtle passengers to hear, “[b]Owww…. I think that’s the last time we let the line out far enough to try for the catfish along the lake bottom - the lake’s fighting back now! … Shields, thanks for helping me out of that one, I’m Hasan Brage, by the way. You know what? I don’t see the bodies of my friends who got pulled under, or any of the first Lads who tried to help us - do you think the plants pulled them to the bottom of the lake?”
Hasan was speaking loud enough to ensure the Turtle passengers heard him, and by coincidence, while Zanderallen is catching his breath on the surface and aiming himself towards the final Tangle/Reeds, he hears all that the fisherman said, too, as does Stohp and all the Shields.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 Tuesday February 28th, 2023 7:56:47 PM
Delia's head swivels to Hasan, "Did you fish any differently than you had before out here? Disturb something angry and hungry that hadn't been bothered before?" Hawky has reclaimed his spot on her shoulder, inconveniencing her efforts to wring water out of her gear. He mimics his mistress and fixes a beady eye on Hasan. She considers his question for a moment before sighing, "Probably. There was a... trail underwater. I think Bart followed it, but don't know what he's found. I have this for whenever we're ready to check it out." She pulls a Bottle of Air out of her handy haversack.
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Tuesday February 28th, 2023 10:04:30 PM
Bartomus swam over to the turtle and then worked himself to a ladder or a place to climb back up onto the amazing beast. He road one of the rippled waves that the turtle's front fin made and clambered up onto the Turtle's shell. As he did so, he shifted back into his Taur self and scrambled upward to where he could find a seat. He took a moment and caught the questions that Delia was asking the fisherman.
He shot her a look that could be read as change the subject, or can we talk about this back at HQ, with the hopes that either would be seen and quickly understood. He also looked over Zander to see if he was getting his breath.
Thanks wasn't sure how that works.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 d20+20=27 ; Tuesday February 28th, 2023 10:19:35 PM
Armalad turns her gaze outward looking for any other threats (Perception: 27)
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Wednesday March 1st, 2023 8:35:33 AM "There are merfolk under the lake, we've met before and left on friendly terms. If something's changed they might know about it if we can't figure it out ourselves."
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 12/10/12; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 7/38 used Wednesday March 1st, 2023 12:51:59 PM "Either the plants pulled them down or they 'ate' them...whatever that means for a plant. How many people are missing?
Either way, I think we need to gear up and get a message to the merfolk like Stohp says. Then maybe we're heading underwater again."
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 Wednesday March 1st, 2023 2:27:27 PM
Zander gets his breath and listens in to the conversation. He notices Bart giving Delia a look. "Bart if you think there's any chance the victims are alive we need to go check it out now. If you found where the tangles came from we can discuss later." He eyes the taur carefully, waiting for an answer.
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Wednesday March 1st, 2023 8:16:48 PM
Delia speaks with Hasan, probing him about the fisherfolk’s actions before the attack. Delia then answers Hasan’s question as best she can.
Bartomus flows onto the Turtle and regains his Tauric form. Bartomus aimed non-verbal communication at Delia which might be understood in shorthand as “zip it!” Bartomus then looks towards Zanderallen to confirm he’s breathing ok.
Armalad looks around for other threats, but things are peaceful… for the moment…
Stohp suggests the merfolk be consulted.
Stock asks how many people are missing. Stock agrees with Stohp’s suggestion to meet with the merfolk, and then perhaps plan an expedition into the depths.
Zanderallen catches up on the conversation, also seeing Bartomus’ non-verbal communication to Delia, and asks Bartomus whether any victims might be alive, and to discuss the source of the Tangle/Reeds later.
Hasan says, “An underwater trail? Can even the Shields trace such a thing? Hmm… the Lake is naturally calm water…” The middle-aged fisherman turns to the fisherwoman with him and Delia in Boat 3, and speaks, “I know you’ve lost almost everything… but do you think the Shields can follow the trail?”
The fisherwoman, her adrenaline gone, sinks to her knees in the boat, and begins softly sobbing, the sobbing increasing as she forces herself to say, loudly, perhaps intentionally loud enough for all the Shields to hear… “ Shields… wow, I can’t believe I, Fabricia Shanoza, only a fisherwoman, get to talk to you… but… it’s just not right that those… plants… killed our friends and family… and it’s *worse* that we don’t have their bodies for burial. I know recovering the dead isn’t part of protecting the City’s people, but I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t bury my husband and daughter!” Fabricia is sobbing regularly, continually, though not uncontrollably… her sorrow is beyond words and is written all over her…
Hasan kneels also, and gently reaches for her, then pulls his hand back, then reaches again, then pulls his hand back… It’s clear that Hasan has no idea how to aid Fabricia, or even if he’s the right person to do so.
No one has yet answered Stock’s question about who and how many were lost.
SHIELDS – What do you do?
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Wednesday March 1st, 2023 8:20:57 PM
Armalad says, "So if we are going to somehow follow this underwater trail on a recovery mission aren't we supposed to know the numbers and description of all those currently unaccounted for?"
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Thursday March 2nd, 2023 12:56:25 AM "Now Miss Fabricia, I think we need to get you and the injured turtle back to the Float," Bartomus offered in response to the new widow's dismay. He glowers at Zander and then turns back to the others. "I really like Stohp's suggestion, especially with the murky waters below. The merfolk would be worth talking to on this one. Lots and lots of things to ask them about."
Bartomus emphasized the word 'Lots' and tapped a finger on his chin to signal again to the Shields that there was more to what he was saying.
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Thursday March 2nd, 2023 12:56:25 AM "Now Miss Fabricia, I think we need to get you and the injured turtle back to the Float," Bartomus offered in response to the new widow's dismay. He glowers at Zander and then turns back to the others. "I really like Stohp's suggestion, especially with the murky waters below. The merfolk would be worth talking to on this one. Lots and lots of things to ask them about."
Bartomus emphasized the word 'Lots' and tapped a finger on his chin to signal again to the Shields that there was more to what he was saying.
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Thursday March 2nd, 2023 12:56:32 AM "Now Miss Fabricia, I think we need to get you and the injured turtle back to the Float," Bartomus offered in response to the new widow's dismay. He glowers at Zander and then turns back to the others. "I really like Stohp's suggestion, especially with the murky waters below. The merfolk would be worth talking to on this one. Lots and lots of things to ask them about."
Bartomus emphasized the word 'Lots' and tapped a finger on his chin to signal again to the Shields that there was more to what he was saying.
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Thursday March 2nd, 2023 7:49:16 AM
Stohp did a headcount earlier so presumably knows how many and whom have been lost so she can answer Stock's question. "We need to do some follow up to make sure this won't happen again. If we take the time to go back to the float and then return whatever trail there is will have faded. I know many predators have strong senses of smell, including some aquatic ones - Bartomus could you take the form of a shark or something and follow the blood trail to the source of the attack?
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 12/10/12; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 7/38 used Thursday March 2nd, 2023 8:43:34 AM "I'm spectacularly unprepared to go diving, Stohp. Besides, it sounds like Bart has already tracked the trail as far as he could. I will need my gear - as well as one of those underwater breathing helms - if we are to go under."
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 Thursday March 2nd, 2023 2:24:16 PM
Delia puts a gentle hand on Fabricia's shoulder, grief flashing across her normally calm features, "We'll do what we can. But right now it sounds like what we can do is getting everyone still here home safely. And then figure out next steps."
She starts shepherding everyone onto the turtle and/or doing whatever organization of the boats needs to happen to return to land. "Maybe one of us has magic to let us breathe underwater if we come back tomorrow. Or we always have the old fashioned way of passing around my magicky air bottle between breath-holding."
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Thursday March 2nd, 2023 8:27:06 PM
Armalad says, "That sounds like a plan then."
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Thursday March 2nd, 2023 10:15:50 PM
Armalad once more centers Stock’s question of who all was lost amongst the fisherfolk and the Lads.
Bartomus is gentle in words with Fabricia, trying to get her to focus on returning to a place of safety. He also tries to speak somewhat in code to the Shields.
Stohp did a headcount earlier, and recalls that the Lads reported Triggan and Jerma Mylyl as lost overboard… Fabricia has mentioned her husband and daughter, but also “friends”… looking at the boats and thinking about their usual crews… probably no more than two other fisherfolk, so six lost in total, maybe plus or minus one. Stohp suggests following while the trail is fresh.
Stock objects, and notes Bartomus’ efforts and recent return, as well as Stock’s desire for his own adventuring gear.
Delia consoles Fabricia. Then Delia begins gently guiding the remaining fisherfolk still on boats to form a fleet with the Turtle, which will go slow as maybe half of the fisherfolk are mentally able to row. That leaves a fourth boat that could use some strong arms to row it back. Delia offers some useful planning tips for the Shields to go underwater.
Armalad agrees with Delia.
Zanderallen sees Delia organizing things and the Shields strategizing, and realizes the final Tangle/Reeds still needs ending, but he could use some help, so he joins in the organizing of the townsfolk in hope of freeing up enough Shields so the last Tangle can be finished off in just seconds.
Fabricia listens to Delia, and her sobbing slows down. While Delia is beginning to direct traffic, something wells from deep within Fabricia, and she gathers herself, face still soaked with tears of loss and stands up, wiping tears from her eyes and looks out at all of the Shields and clears her throat. As many turn to face Fabricia, those who turned can see both desolation and rage simultaneously in her face, and for those closer like Delia, in her eyes as well.
Fabricia says, pleads, almost shouts through her gritted teeth, “Please, bring back their bodies so I… we… can bury them… and if you can, [shouting] tear all those plants frond from frond and burn them to ashes in the biggest fire ever… scorch the lake floor of them all so we few who remain can fish in peace and mourn our dead!”
And with that, Fabricia runs out of energy and collapses again into a sobbing heap on the boat. The other fisherfolk act together and pull Boat 3 close to the Turtle, and then to pull Fabricia onto the Turtle. Gathered around her, they offer emotional support, and as they do so, almost as one, they all turn their heads toward the Shields and look at the Shields silently, expectantly, for what feels like minutes and then again, almost as one, they turn back to Fabricia and speak more soothing words to her.
Taran has at times been lucid, and at times just standing there in not quite the thousand-yard stare that Ceridan had. As the fisherfolk murmur condolences and encouragement to Fabricia, Taran comes out of “just standing there,” addresses the Shields and says, “Shields… this situation is worse than just family members lost and can’t be buried… and poor, poor Triggan and Jerma… the fisherfolk bring in a LOT of fish… food… for Floating City. People on the Float may go hungry, or even starve, if you don’t wipe out these… these… alien plants. If the plants can multiply enough they might even surround the Float and prevent all trade -- help us, help the Float live, Shields, you’re our only hope!”
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Friday March 3rd, 2023 8:02:47 AM
Most of the party seems to want to return and Stohp's not going to argue over it anymore. Best they move quickly and get back as soon as they can.
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 12/10/12; DR 3/-; CMD: 34; Rage: 7/38 used Friday March 3rd, 2023 8:43:27 AM "Bart - do you have any magic prepared that would help us breathe underwater? If not, we might have to acquire some magic. I imagine scrolls could be bought. Honestly feels like something we should always have loaded and ready to go since we live on a floating city."
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Friday March 3rd, 2023 10:54:12 AM
Bartomus listened to the widow's lament and sighed heavily as her anger coursed through her and hung over all of them. He wondered what the best approach would be considering the village-like setting he had seen atop the lakebed.
Taran's assessment of the situation sent a shiver down Bartomus' spine. There was the magnitude of the situation he had seen lain bare before them all. He caught the word "alien" and let that roll about. Surely the merfolk had to have some ideas about these denizens of the underwater shore.
"Maybe, Stock. I have some ideas but would need to spend some time meditating on them. Also, wasn't there some type of weed that can help with underwater activities?" He asked aloud in more of a musing with a bit of a grin. "Probably not a weed, but let's get back to the Float and we can lay out a plan based upon everything we know."
He then turned to the fisher folk and raised his voice a bit. "Over the past few months, have your nets been damaged? Fish intake reduced? Any indication that these creatures may have been there for a while?"
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 d20+28=30 ; d20+14=26 ; Friday March 3rd, 2023 12:52:33 PM
Delia blinks, then nods at Fabricia's vehemence, helping the woman onto the turtle along with the fisherfolk.
She will wait patiently on the sad journey back to plan with the Shields once there are no longer traumatized civilians around to overhear whatever Bartomus wanted to say.
Hawky wheels overhead, both keeping an eye out for any weird shapes or shadows in the water around them.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 Friday March 3rd, 2023 12:57:13 PM
Zanderallen is burning with a curiosity of what Bart found, but he can take a signal that something bigger is at play. He instead focuses on calming the survivors. "We promise we will be looking further into this and doing everything we can. But we can't do anything until we know everyone here is safe. Let's get all these boats secured to the turtle and get back home."
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Saturday March 4th, 2023 12:29:04 AM
Stohp resigns herself to the Shields’ push to return to the Float and prepare for an underwater expedition.
Stock asks Bartomus whether he prepared any water breathing magic, and suggests the Shields should always be prepared for underwater adventuring.
Bartomus patiently and wisely considered each speaker in turn, from Fabricia’s simultaneous mournful sorrow and rage, to Taran, who said he grew up on the Trash level, and therefore no stranger to hunger, seeing the greater threat. Bartomus then hears Stock’s question, and replies with some ideas and suggests further discussion wait until Shields HQ. Bartomus then turns his attention to the fisherfolk, and queries them about any recent unusual events while fishing.
Delia is briefly taken aback by Fabricia’s speech, but then nods, and helps the fisherfolk get Fabricia aboard the Turtle, noting that some of the fisherfolk will need to return to their boats to help row… and the Turtle still needs a bit more healing before it can swim at full speed with a full load. Delia scans the horizons, while Hawky patrols the waves from the air. Neither see any strange creatures.
Zanderallen wonders what Bartomus found, but plays along for now. He calms the survivors by promising the Shields will get to the bottom of the attack and the Tangle/Reeds, but insists that first the survivors must be safe aboard the Float.
Armalad mentally prepares herself for the underwater expedition, thinking about what specialty gear to get from Shields HQ, what spells to prepare…
Hasan scratches his chin while Stock speaks, and then looks around at his fellow fisherfolk, all of them slowly shaking their heads from side to side, but not speaking. Hasan replies to Stock, “No, we haven’t… those of us here and… (he looks down) elsewhere… we have a pattern, we’ve divided up the lake and try to rotate from place to place to avoid killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, as it were… sometimes large tangles of weeds and reeds can come loose from the lakefloor naturally, and we thought that happened this morning… and maybe it did, just those… creatures… took advantage of us dealing with normal reeds to sneak in for the attack…” Hasan sighs, looks around at the fisherfolk, lingers on the sobbing Fabricia, and shakes his head.
Hasan moves closer to Delia, and says in a whisper, "I'm whispering so I don't upset Fabricia, but you should know something about what her family... her husband Edvards and her daughter Nuray, and what they were wearing... for the recovery... tell the rest of the Shields once you're out of our hearing..." Hasan whispers good descriptions to Delia of Edvards and Nuray.
With that, Delia and Zanderallen direct some of the more “present” fisherfolk back onto their boats to prepare for travel, and then the Shields turn their attention to the final Tangle/Reeds, and just before it unknots itself, Stock, still free to move, follows Zanderallen’s water-slowed lead and does the bulk of the work with the other Shields contributing in their own way. In seconds, the creature is no more.
Delia explains the need to fully heal the Turtle for the trip back, since it’s carrying the Shields and the fisherfolk still incapable of rowing due to their mental trauma. Bartomus and Zanderallen summon healing energies once more and the Turtle almost seems to be smiling – hard to tell with a turtle’s beak, but it’s moving much more easily now.
The sun has fully risen at this point, the dawn’s greys fully gone, and with occasional shoulder pats, Taran manages to maintain his focus enough to guide the Turtle, the Shields, and the fisherfolk fleet back to the Float.
The return trip takes much longer this time, without Belba’s “secret spell” still running. The Turtle’s flippers move in rhythm, as do the oars of the fishing fleet. The Turtle is maybe a bit overloaded, but the fleet, half-staffed with rowers, is also moving slowly.
Finally, the Float is in easy view without squinting, and soon enough the Turtle and the boats are at the Float’s dock. Belba and other Floatfolk are there, waiting. At the slower pace, the Turtle fleet must have been visible to the Float for quite a while. It’s nowhere near noon, but it’s just past early morning, and now simply the morning.
The Turtle gently returns to its home at the dock, and the fisherfolk bring in their boats, careful to rope them through iron eyes to keep them from drifting away. Belba and the support staff of the Turtlemasters help the fisherfolk onto the Float, and lead them to some nearby temporary seating, blankets, food, and acolytes of Domi ready to render medical aid (though the fisherfolk are all physically healed) and counseling.
Belba’s eyes are wide at seeing the trauma written on the fisherfolk’s faces, and perhaps even a hint of sadness on one or more of the Shields, were they not all possessed of stiff upper lips…
Belba says, “Shields… (she looks again at the fisherfolk, and then back to the Shields)… I don’t… I can’t imagine what… I don’t see Triggan… or Jerma… ohhhhhh… perhaps after I see that all of the fisherfolk are receiving the care they need, we can talk about what happened out there?” With that, Belba nods to the Shields and walks among the fisherfolk, speaking to each of them by name, going silent at times as if she was about to call the name of a fisherfolk who simply… didn’t return. Belba is not a particularly emotional type of person, but as she’s among the fisherfolk, you see perhaps the hint of moisture at the corner of one eye…
The Shields are well-acquainted with the long path home, and Stohp once more leads the way, adjusting her shortcuts since no dangerous leaps need be taken.
Soon enough the Shields are back at Shields HQ. There’s a note on the door from Belba, which says that she helped them back to the Lads HQ where some of the merchants’ employees are tending to Xera, Yerikah, and Ceridan. Shields HQ is quiet as you open the front doors… a far cry from the noise of this morning. Everything is as you left it.
SHIELDS – What do you do?
(OOC - this next posting week is the Shields planning for the expedition, discussing options, strategies, tactics, and maybe encountering the unexpected - please feel free to take your time speaking in character about what your hero recommends the Shields plan, do, etc. Some Shields have already mentioned visiting knowledgeable people, so please include that in role-playing the planning.)
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Saturday March 4th, 2023 1:23:17 AM
As they entered their HQ, Bartomus sighed in relief. It was a deep, long muscle relaxing sigh.
"I suggest we get something to eat and drink," Bartomus said to his fellow Shields. "Then we can gather around the table with whatever maps we might have of the Float. I need to share what I saw down underwater. And, we need to see if we can have a few runners get us one of the druids, a scholar from the League, and does anyone remember how we can reach the merfolk?"
Bartomus stepped back to the doorway and looked outside for one of the street kids that they have employed. If there is one, he will send them to the druid grove and to the League with a very specific message. The Shields need vital advice immediately for the future sustainability of the Float."
He then made the effort to take care of an essential necessity before finding some food and drink.
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 28/25/16; DR 3/-; CMD: 35; Rage: 7/38 used Saturday March 4th, 2023 11:03:55 AM
Stock wastes no time donning the rest of his gear, once again feeling comfortably armored. "I will head to the WLA and see if there is anything in the archives about bloodthirsty plants from the deep. I also don't remember if there is a way to contact the merfolk but that also should be a priority. I've heard that a sending can be sent at times like this but none of us that have met the merfolk have ever expressed this capability. Lastly, I also appreciated the freedom" I had back there on the lake. That should be another priority for most of us, even if it requires us to buy some scrolls. I do wonder if the council would secure this for us."[/b]
When the brief discussion is complete, Stock takes his leave and heads to the WLA.
Delia (Hannah) HP: 115/115; AC 29/17/23; CMD 39 Sunday March 5th, 2023 4:51:56 PM
Delia will listen carefully to Hasan's description, mentally marking down any distinguishing items of Fabricia's family. If any other folk are missing, she will ensure she gets a description of them.
Once they are back at HQ she will join in the planning, "I can cast the same I did for Stock on two of us and Bart can turn into a water elemental again. That would only leave 3 more. And maybe we should track down some good slashing weapons as well since stabbing the plants didn't seem to be doing as much."
Stohp (Mitch) HP: 97/111 AC: 27/15/23 CMD: 26 (+4 vs grapple,+6 disarm, trip) Sunday March 5th, 2023 8:55:40 PM
Earlier in their adventuring career the shields were able to rent magical gear that let them move and breath underwater. Stohp will go try to find that gear once again.
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Sunday March 5th, 2023 9:23:37 PM
Armalad says, "I actually do know Water Breathing and can prepare up to four copies of it but it takes 3rd level slots and I usually put Fly and Lightning Bolt there."
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 Monday March 6th, 2023 3:10:39 PM
Zander walks among the acolytes of Domi, greeting most of them by name from his time around the temple. He gives them a brief summary of what happened on the lake to prepare them for the aid the fishermen will need. "We'll be happy to discuss what happened in more detail Belba, once these poor folk are taken care of." He walks back with a heavy heart at those lost.
Once inside he turns to Bart, "All right big fellow, what do you see down there that you didn't want to share with the general public?" He waits for the taur to fill in the group.
"I'm going to see if I can get an audience with the Overlord or someone in his office. They'll need to know if they is danger to the fishing industry. If the fishing boats stop going out the Float is in serious trouble."
Twilight KNOCKING... (DM Wayne) Monday March 6th, 2023 8:17:33 PM
Bartomus relaxes, once more at home in Shields HQ. He floats suggestions of what to do next, starting with a meal! He then steps out just a moment to look for a messenger. At the moment there isn’t one, but the day is young.
Stock once more dresses for battle, pleased to have his faithful tools with him once more. He announces his plans to head to the WLA for information, and suggests some magical routes the team might investigate for communications and for underwater action. Stock then leaves for the WLA. On the way, he hears the conversations on the street. It seems that in the time it took the Shields to return home, gear up, talk, and perhaps even begin eating, almost everyone walking on the street is talking about the attack on the fisherfolk. At first people weren’t looking down to pay attention to a random dwarf on the streets of the Float, but about halfway to the WLA, a group of teenagers point at Stock in full battle gear and say, “Hey, there’s one of the Shields, we can ask him! Mr. St--- St--- was it Stohp? Is that your name Mr. Shield? Tell us what happened in the attack – we want to know everything!” The speaker is a teenage human girl, dark hair, beige skin. With her are three teenage boys around the same age but two are human and half a head taller, and the third is a half-elf, and two teenage girls, one a gnome and the other a dwarf. All are looking expectantly at the mighty Shield, “Stohp” to tell them a thrilling tale of adventure!!!
While still among the Turtle Fleet, Delia made sure to focus on the valuable information Hasan gave them. It was thought one or two others were missing, but after Delia speaks with the fisherfolk and with Stohp, she finds that there are four missing: Edvards, Nuria, and the Lads, Triggan and Jerma. Back at Shields HQ, Delia contributes to the mission planning, counting what resources they do have (two freedom of movement spells, Bart’s waterform) and considering what weapons to focus on… perhaps swords, as although the water can slow an un-freedom arm significantly, slashing weapons seem to work better…
Stohp listens to the others strategize, and recalls that the Shields had previously rented some magical gear to function underwater… She thinks she recalls where to go to check on it, and heads out after Stock, soon splitting off from his path to the WLA. Just as she thinks she’s getting close, the way ahead is blocked by two Minotaurs carrying a large stained-glass window pane out of a glassmaker’s shop and into the street. Stohp is no novice and quickly slows to a walk, looking this way and that for an opportunity to get past the laborers carrying the pane. As the laborers are orienting the pane, the closer one to Stohp, in looking around to make sure he doesn’t bump into anyone, happens to see Stohp and makes eye contact with her, saying “Oh, excuse us ma’am, the Temple of Domi wanted their new piece right away. We’ll just be a minute getting this balanced to go forward and then you can go around us.” While the ‘taurs are jostling the large pane first one way, and then another, Stohp catches a view of the art in the stained glass pane. Some sort of Champion of Domi fighting a… demon(?)… coming out of a gate, with a lot of refuse around the gate. The Champion has a flaming red sword, and some sort of hash lines, perhaps indicating the sword is moving with great speed. A spark of familiarity ignites inside Stohp. Perhaps it will grow into a flame of recognition…
Armalad offers to prepare some Water Breathing spells, but warns of the cost in lost offensive spells among her usual repertoire… She is concerned about losing access to Fly, but then recalls that the Fly spell is useless underwater unless an air pocket can be found… the possibility of losing Lightning Bolt leads to her recalling that many of the elemental spells function differently underwater, among other spells… she’ll have to plan carefully which of her usual spells should be kept and which should be swapped out for something more useful where the Shields are going…
As the Shields begin gathering on the Float to head towards Shields HQ, Zanderallen’s heart is touched by the acolytes of Domi counseling the tormented fisherfolk… He greets many by name and helps them to better understand what the fisherfolk have come through. A brief farewell to Belba and turning towards the road to Shields HQ, Zanderallen walks seriously, thinking deeply about the tragedy and threat that befell the fisherfolk, and how to prevent it from ever happening again. At Shields HQ, Zanderallen listens to Bartomus, and then asks him to share the deep lore of his underwater journey. After Bartomus fills in the group, (minus Stock and Stohp who both have left to follow their own plans to aid the expedition) Zanderallen tells the Shields of his plans to seek an audience with the Overlord’s office, if not the Overlord himself, due to the threat to the Float’s fishing industry, food supply, and possibly all trade on Turtle Lake!
SHIELDS – What do you do?
Armalad (Hugh) HP 91/128 AC25 / Touch 19/ Flat 18 CMD 27 Monday March 6th, 2023 8:29:28 PM
Armalad says, "Well if Fly and Lightning Bolt are bad choices for underwater I can do Dispel Magic, Invisibility Sphere, Haste, Slow, Water Breathing, Arcane Sight, or Major Image. Do you think I should do some combination of Water Breathing and something else or just stock the 4 water breathing and we can be sure to not run out of air. Each casting of my spell lasts for 20 hours and I can divide the time evenly amongst us."
Stock (JonM) HP: 203/203; AC: 28/25/16; DR 3/-; CMD: 35; Rage: 7/38 used Tuesday March 7th, 2023 8:35:50 AM "I'm Stock. Not Stohp. Stohp is a taur, I'm a dwarf. She's also a better carpenter and wrestler. As for what happened...let's just say you should stay out of the water." He pushes past the kids and heads to the WLA. Once there he asks for a docent and will ask how he could find information about past attacks in the lake that have come from the deep.
Bartomus(Rod) HP: 123/123 AC 21; Glv +16 2d8+2 Slng +14 CMD 11 Melee 11/6/1;Perc+16;Heal+11 Tuesday March 7th, 2023 10:30:48 AM "So," Bartomus said looking at Zander and then realized that a few of the Shields weren't there. "I followed the blood and stuff."
He paused and sighed.
"There was a kelp forest and I worked my way through that and after following the faint trail, I spied what looked like a reeds community, not sure if I would call it a town, but a collection of the reeds in a rather organized fashion."
He again sighed and looked about.
"So, you can see why I was trying to control the story, right?" Bartomus looked straight at Zander and then continued. "If there are a group of these creatures in the lake, and if they have a sense of community, I think we need to figure out what they are and what happened."
"As to breathing underwater, I think there is a way I can do that as was suggested. Use that gift on a few of you and then I can change into a creature of water as I did. I also wonder if I could tree walk from the grove here into that forest? It's one of the things I want to ask the druids. But, we need to know what the merfolk might know about the reeds. If nothing, then could they be a new inhabitant to the lake?"
The Taur lifted his morning tea to his lips and let the others respond to what he had shared.
Zanderallen (Zachary H) 159/159 AC: 15 T: 13 FF: 14 CMD: 31 Tuesday March 7th, 2023 2:28:47 PM "A community of reeds. That is even more worrisome. I watched those reeds, there was no intelligence to them, just a primal need to feed. If there is an organized community then something sent those reeds. Unleashed those horrors on innocent people. We need to find out what is going on down there and put an end to it." Zander unconsciously touches his sword hilt as he finishes his statement. Armed with that info he departs to the palace level to seek an audience with the Overlord. He might also be able to help in providing the ability to breathe underwater.
Underwater Plan-Weaving (DM Wayne) Tuesday March 7th, 2023 9:19:12 PM
Armalad considers what she knows about magic and the underwater environs, musing aloud what spells might be better choices on this journey than her usual selections, and which of her usual selections she should keep.
Stock, to the point as always, quickly corrects the Shields fanteens as to who he is while also using his arms to form a kind of flying wedge and gently but brusquely make his way past the teencrowd. Stock’s stern face radiates “important business” and after the gasps of the teencrowd and their comments about how serious and heroic Stock is, Stock metaphorically leaves them in his dust and soon arrives at the WLA. After waiting in line for about five minutes behind apparently yet another group of fresh new adventuring faces asking all the usual new-to-the-Float questions like “where’s the jobs board?” and “can we meet the Shields?” it’s finally Stock’s turn. The clerk at the desk is new, but there is a sparkle in the middle-aged half-elf woman’s eyes, and after briefly looking Stock up and down, she says, “Hmm… I may be new here, but there’s only one group of adventurers that could possibly afford a suit of mithral full plate armor, and that’s the Shields! How may I assist you, and which Shield are you anyways… wait, let me guess… Bartomus?”
Meanwhile, the real Bartomus sighs briefly realizing that Stock and Stohp aren’t around to hear his tale, but begins it anyways in the hearing of Zanderallen, Armalad, and Delia, expressing his concern that, at a distance, there appeared to be some form of “town” of weedy/reedy “buildings” – not that he could tell how many were occupied, but the evident organization was made for troubling possibilities… Bartomus goes on to discuss strategy for underwater travel and preparing appropriate spells. Bartomus once more brings up meeting with the merfolk to see what they know about these… newcomers? Bartomus drinks his tea while waiting for the others to react.
Zanderallen is also troubled by this news… the “town” doesn’t fit with the HUNGRY motivation the Tangle/Reeds displayed with the fisherfolk and the Turtle. Zanderallen is determined to find a way to end this new threat, and saying his farewells, heads for the palace level and an audience with the Overlord. Zanderallen, armed and armored fully, with each buckle now in its proper position, heads out of Shields HQ and as he turns onto the road towards the path to the palace level, he sees before him a teenage human girl, dark hair, beige skin. With her are three teenage boys around the same age but two are human and half a head taller, and the third is a half-elf, and two teenage girls, one a gnome and the other a dwarf. The girl is just finishing saying, “It’s too bad Stock was too busy to do more than tell us to stay out of the water. Good thing our families aren’t fisherfolk and – hey, that’s Shields HQ and there’s a Shield! Hey you, you’re a Shield, right? Uh, Salamander, Zallenander… something like that? Can you please tell us the real story of what happened to the fisherfolk? We’re… like… dying to know!” The six teenagers watch Zanderallen with smiles and bated breath.
Delia muses about spell strategy with Armalad and Bartomus.
Stohp appears transfixed by the stained-glass Champion of Domi… just then one of the two minotaurs carrying the stained-glass, the one nearest Stohp, notices her frozen stare and stops his friend and then says to Stohp, “Ma’am, are you ok? I know this stained-glass is a real work of art… hey, is that armor steelgrass? Wow, such fine craftspersonship! Not a mark on it… wait, are you one of the Shields? I know your name! It’s on the tip of my tongue… it’s… Stock?” the minotaur smiles hopefully. “By the way, my name’s Pravin. Pravin Shalmaneser.”
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