Re: Adventure #3 - Lord Winter

[Alpha Omega]

"Shall we pacify the other fish swarms before we start to investigate?"

[Glitz]

"Yes. We can split up and each take a fish!" Elodie waits a few seconds for Jeremiah to make his way to the opposite corner, and then proceeds to make the turn herself--slowly, attempting not to startle the fish.

Move to Y7.
Wild Empathy check (fish, Y8): 7 (1 + 5 Druid Level + 1 Cha)

OOC: I guess Elodie trips on an octopus tentacle or something... :(

[Malazek]

"Let me examine those items for a moment." During the full minute.

At the time that Talmut asks this, Jeremiah is a little preoccupied. Using his natural empathy to pacify a wild animal requires his undivided attention. Gumphrey, on the other hand, squeezes past all the zombies to let Jeremiah have a look at the dagger.

- Rolls = 30 & 19

Talmut recognizes that the dagger was crafted by a powerful necromancer, but he is unable to identify the actual smith. The dagger, however, is very old ... maybe even older than the Realms. Its magical properties create a resonance of discord between the wielder and his victim.

- +1 Vicious Dagger. Deals an extra +2d6 damage to the target, but also causes 1d6 damage to the wielder.

"Shall we pacify the other fish swarms before we start to investigate?"

"Yes. We can split up and each take a fish!

After calming the wild fish, Jeremiah suggests moving to pacify the remaining fish. Elodie agrees and the both of them move toward their objectives.

- OOC: Jeremiah CAN drop the quiver as a free action before moving on to the other fish, but that is up to him.
- OOC: Also, I assume Talmut gives Gumphrey back his dagger after he's done examining it?

After getting his dagger back, Gumphrey urges Talmut to follow Jeremiah around the bend. That way, they can back up the woodsman as the zombies back up Elodie. It will also allow Talmut to provide his compatriots with light (since Talmut is carrying the only light source, at the moment).

Elodie waits a few seconds for Jeremiah to make his way to the opposite corner, and then proceeds to make the turn herself--slowly, attempting not to startle the fish.
Move to Y7.
Wild Empathy check (fish, Y8): 7 (1 + 5 Druid Level + 1 Cha)
OOC: I guess Elodie trips on an octopus tentacle or something..

- OOC: Or something ...

As Elodie rounds the corner, her foot slips in the muck and she loses her balance. She careens around the corner and slams into the wall, which does, in fact, startle the fish. Fight or flight (well, fight) response takes over and the 150 pound fish clamps down on Elodie with its massive maw ... and it doesn't let go. Elodie feels her life blood quickly draining away, into the gullet of the fish!

- Attack Roll = 16 (Hit) Damage = 4 Damage to Elodie
- Attach (Auto Grapple plus Blood Drain). Elodie is grappled & suffers 1 point of Strength damage & 1 point of Constitution Damage!!

---

- OOC: I'm calling that the surprise round. One of the fishes was surprised, but the entire party was surprised to. (In other words, only one fish got to attack in the Surprise round).

- Initiatives for Round 1 will be as follows:
- Jeremiah = 23
- Gumphrey = 23
- Elodie = 20
- Talmut = 15
- Zombies = 15 (Staggered)
- Big Fishes = 2

---

[Glitz]

Elodie squeals and attempts to wriggle free. If she manages to slip out of the mouth of the fish, Elodie will push past the zombies and meet up with the rest of her human party members on the other side.

Combat maneuver check vs. grapple: 20 (18 + 2)

[Alpha Omega]

Free Action: Quick Draw Axes
Jeremiah will attack the fish that has Elodie grappled.

M.H. Axe: 5 + 9 = 14 | 7 DMG
H.Axe 15 +7 = 22  | 6 DMG

[Malazek]

R&R Round 1 ...

Init 23
Jeremiah swings his axes, cutting the giant fish to the bone.
- Miss chances = 45 & 63 (Both Hit)

Gumphrey to a better position and stabs the other fish ... killing it outright.
- Attack Roll = 11; Miss Chance = 85 (Hit). Damage = 19
- Gumphrey's dagger drains 1 Hit Point from Gumphrey.

Init 20
Elodie breaks free from toothy maw of the fish and makes a break for it. The giant fish tries to grab a hold of her, again, and she runs.
- OA = 9 (Miss)

Init 15
The zombies lumber forward.
- OOC: Zombies only get a move OR a standard action, not both.

Talmut is next ...

[Swifthand]

Talmut will Summon a Celestial Dolphin in W10.

[Alpha Omega]

Jeremiah will attack the same fish.

M.H. Axe: 13 + 9 = 22 |  8 DMG
H.Axe 2 +7 = 9  | --

[Malazek]

R&R - Round 1 (Continued) ...

Init 15
Talmut calls to Lord Ahu and summons another Heavenly Dolphin.

Init 2
Panicking, the last big fish bites Jeremiah and refuses to let go. Jeremiah's blood spills rapidly into the fish's mouth and the surrounding waters.
- Attack roll = Natch 20. Jeremiah suffers 11 Damage
- Attach (Auto Grapple & Blood Drain) Jeremiah is Grappled. He suffers 1 pt of Str dmg & 1 pt of Con dmg

R&R - Round 2

Init 23
Using his one free hand, Jeremiah strikes a deadly blow against the monster fish, killing it instantly.
- Can only use one hand when grappled.
- Miss Chance = 30 (Hit).

The fishes are dead.
END COMBAT

[Malazek]

"Let's get a closer look at this statue," Gumphrey says.

[Glitz]

Elodie cheers as Jeremiah finishes the fish, although she is sad that it came to combat at all. She knows that Jeremiah is probably feeling ill after being chomped on by the fish, so she pulls out a small vial and passes it forward to him. "Before anything else happens, take this," she says.

OOC: Elodie passes Jeremiah a Potion of Lesser Restoration.

Afterward she passes the vial to Jeremiah, Elodie says to Gumphrey, "Why don't you check for traps, first? Then Talmut or I can look to see if there's anything magical here."

[Malazek]

"Good idea," Gumphrey replies. "Talmut, can I get some light over here?"

Assuming Talmut brings the light over, he sees that this statue is quite a bit different than the others. For one thing, it seems to have a tail. Gumphrey does his best to search for hidden pressure plates or trip wires, but doesn't find any. So, he starts clearly away some of the algae and other growth from the statue's face. After a few seconds, he has cleared away enough to reveal a reptilian visage (a long rounded snout, eyes on the sides, membranous ears, and a sagittal crest).

"Well," Gumphrey says, "I haven't seen THAT before."

[Alpha Omega]

Jeremiah will drink the potion Elodie hands him, then drag the fish over to the octopus. After he feeds the octopus he will help the party search the dungeon.

Perception + 9

24/35 HP's

Jeremiah will take a few of the teeth from the fish as souvenirs...

[Swifthand]

Talmut will provide light where necessary.

OOC: Is that the last of the fish?  If so, I cast detect secret doors.

[Malazek]

Jeremiah will ... then drag the fish over to the octopus.

The giant, rune-etched, octopus seems to appreciate the meal. He devours it immediately.

Jeremiah will take a few of the teeth from the fish as souvenirs...

OOC: Awesome.

Jeremiah ... will help the party search the dungeon.

OOC: You haven't explored the entire dungeon, yet. So, if you're gonna start searching, then I need to know where you start

OOC: Is that the last of the fish?  If so, I cast detect secret doors.

According to the elemental, there were also fish in the room with the pits. That's the only room he described that you haven't been to, yet.
OOC: Did you intend to cast DSD before going into that room? Or after?

OOC: I am suffering some technical difficulties associated with sporadic internet droppings. You read that right.

[Glitz]

Elodie takes a step forward to take a look at the statue that Gumphrey is so surprised by. She is also puzzled by the statue, and takes a moment to study it.

Knowledge (Nature): 26 (16 + 10)
Knowledge (Geography): 20 (14 + 6)
Cast Detect Magic.

[Malazek]

Elodie examines the statue and is surprised to see that it is, in fact, some type of reptilian humanoid. As far as she knows, no such being exists anywhere in the Realms. This particular representation is intriguing, however, because it's completely feasible. If such a creature once existed, this could very well be what it looked like. Primitive in some ways (a tail, a sagittal crest), but advanced in others (bipedal, opposable thumbs). Its armor and weapons are not unlike those of the soldier-statues you've seen before, which would also suggest it was an intelligent and advanced being, in its day.

She tries to recall any regional folklore that might mention such a being, but she doesn't recall anything specific. She vaguely recalls an old legend about a cult that wanted to "revive" an ancient serpent god. It might not be related, but it's possible that reptilian beings could have worshipped a serpent god, in the days before recorded history. She doubts such an important fact (reptilian beings) would have been forgotten, especially in legend, but perhaps such creatures did exist once ... perhaps they worshipped the same primordial deity that the mythic cult would later try to revive? Or maybe that's just wild speculation. Where did that legend supposedly take place, again? She tries to recall. Could it have been the Umbrafall valley? She's not sure. 

Either way, the statue is definitely not magical.

[Glitz]

Elodie clears off more algae, attempting to see if there's anything else notable about this statue. After it's cleared, she will study it for a few more minutes, attempting to commit as many details to memory as possible. As she turns away from the statue, she says to Talmut, "Can I use a piece of paper and ink once we're dry? I'd like to try to sketch this statue, so I can research it better later."

Elodie will then follow the group into the next room, if that's what everyone wants to do. She waves to the octopus as they move back down the hallway.

[Malazek]

Elodie clears off more of the algae and finds that the statue is indeed wearing armor similar to that of the soldier statues in the other room. The armor has been "shaped" differently, however, to accommodate the being's unique build. Its weapon hand has the same familiar remnants of what was once a spear, but the weapon itself has mostly broken away. Aside from its inhuman features, the only other thing this statue has that the others don't is the representation of a rather gruesome war-trophy: three beheaded heads hanging by their beards from the creature's belt.

[Alpha Omega]

OOC: You haven't explored the entire dungeon, yet. So, if you're gonna start searching, then I need to know where you start

Jeremiah just follows the group trying to provide assistance in searching.

[Swifthand]

Elodie clears off more algae, attempting to see if there's anything else notable about this statue. After it's cleared, she will study it for a few more minutes, attempting to commit as many details to memory as possible. As she turns away from the statue, she says to Talmut, "Can I use a piece of paper and ink once we're dry? I'd like to try to sketch this statue, so I can research it better later."

Elodie will then follow the group into the next room, if that's what everyone wants to do. She waves to the octopus as they move back down the hallway.

"Gladly.  I would prefer to finish off the fish before we search."

DSD after we finish fishing.

[Malazek]

After Elodie commits the statues unusual details to memory, the party heads toward the last unexplored room. Gumphrey leads the way, checking the entrance for traps. Once he's satisfied there aren't any, he trepidatiously moves down the short hall to the doorway of the last room ... unsure whether he'll encounter another man-sized fish or another swarm of flesh-eating fish.
 
 
When he gets there, he is surprised to discover that the fish in this room are notably smaller than any you've encountered thus far ... and much more colorful. There are appears to be two major schools, each with hundreds of tiny swimmers. The individual fish are maybe three or four inches long, with bright rainbow-colored stripes on their fins and bodies. They don't look very threatening.

[Alpha Omega]

Jeremiah will try and use his empathy to improve the disposition of the fish (in L14).

Wild Empathy: 9 + 4 = 13

[Glitz]

Elodie moves to the opposite side of the room, approaching the flashy fish swarm in the corner. She moves slowly, attempting to not startle the swarm.

Wild Empathy check (fish, N16): 25 (19 + 5 Druid Level + 1 Cha)

[Malazek]

When Jeremiah and Elodie enter the room, the colorful fish bolt. They flee immediately, before either of the heroes can really finish their attempts to befriend the little creatures. On a positive note, they clearly weren't interested in a fight.

As the fish swim away from them, Jeremiah catches a glimpse of a glint inside the pit. He can't tell exactly what it is, because the pit is way too dark, but something down there is shiny enough to reflect the light.

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