Flykiller's Serpent's skull AP

[Flykiller]

Days -104 to -1:
Introduction

Your journey to the Sargavan capital Eleder is long but uneventful. Weeks pass by as you alternate between leisury strolls on the deck in the mornings, keeping to your cabins in the midday sun, and gathering for communal dinners and socializing in the evenings. Jenivere is a merchant ship first and foremost, and its cargo hold is much larger than the cabin quarters. Stil, several other people have secured their passage on board of the Jenivere along with you.

One of them is a stern, militant half-elven woman, who seems to command equal respect of the ship’s officers and hatred of the common crewmen. Those who have boarded the ship before Port Peril have witnessed the reason for that first hand: One of the sailors has made some improper advances towards her almost as soon as she has appeared on board. Despite being hardly half the sailor’s weight, she did not waste her breath for words or screams, but immediately started a savage brawl, knocking the brute out unconscious with a rapid series of fast and efficient blows to his head, neck and private parts. As the grumbling sailors have dragged their unlucky mate to the bunks, the captain’s first mate, Alton, offered to comfort the woman. Despite not being shaken in the slightest, she agreed and was frequently seen in the officer’s company from then on. Later you have learned that her name is Aerys Mavato. When Alton is on duty (which is most of the time), she spends most of her time locked in her forward cabin, getting out only to get a bottle of nastiest rum and lock herself back in.

There is one more woman on the ship, and she was in fact the first passenger Jenivere took. Her name is Ieana, and she is a bookish yet attractive Varisian scholar, who tends to keep mostly to herself. She has once mentioned that her goal in Sargava is to explore the ancient ruins there and write up a treatise on them. Her voice is quiet and emotionless, and you get the impression she doesn’t care much for the world outside her studies. She is often seen mingling with the other passengers and the officers at first, but as the ship draws closer to Sargava, she spends more and more time alone, catching up with her studies she needs to prepare before arrival. When she appears outside, she seeks company of the captain or other officers, mostly ignoring the passengers.

Another notable character is a sharply dressed gnome with blond hair and a neat goatee. His looks are always impeccable, save for the ink stains on his fingers, which stem from . You suspect he is using some magic tricks to keep himself clean, as he is always out there talking to everyone, whether they like it or not, and he clearly doesn’t spend enough time in his cabin to be able to groom himself so thoroughly. At first he seems like a very amicable type, but the more time you spend with him, the more you notice that he tends to make very snide remarks whenever people get in awkward situations, and seems to take delight in making others feel uncomfortable. He frequently mentions that he’s a member of the Magnimar Pathfinder Society and has a mission of utmost urgency in Eleder. He is quick to introduce himself as Gelik Aberwhinge, esquire.

In Bloodcove, the ship has taken another passenger - a rugged Tian man, who appears to be nearing his golden years. His dress is poor, save for his sword. Its black scabbard and hilt are decorated by an intricate golden pattern, forming a stylized image of a snake biting a tiger. It is as long as a bastard sword, but the scabbard is slightly curved and appears thinner. In a big Inner Sea metropolis such as Absalom or Magnimar, such a blade could probably be worth a fortune to an exotics collector, but perhaps in this man’s homeland it is a more common sight. You’d never know, as the man hardly talks to anyone, and only reluctantly offers you his name in a harsh accent - Ishirou. Strangely enough, you notice he gets along quite well with the aloof Aerys. Perhaps their strange friendship is cemented by the flask of a Tian strong drink he has brought along with him.

At the Shackles port of Corentyn, three armed men walk aboard the ship and ask to meet the captain. 15 minutes later, you see them leaving the captain’s cabin together. The captain, Alizandru Kovack, is obviously angered and in distress, but tries to conceal it. The armed men bring forth a manacled prisoner and say a few quiet words to the captain, before sharply turning and leaving the ship. Left alone, Alizandru lets his anger fly and barks off the orders for the crew, who manhandle the helpless prisoner into the ship’s brig and chain him there. Once a day, the captain personally takes the prisoner for a short stroll on the deck, but strictly forbids anyone else to touch the prisoner or talk to him.

Finally, in Ilizmagorti, a red-haired, green-eyed, and strikingly beautiful young woman by name of Sasha Nevah is welcomed aboard. For the first few days she seems somber and quiet, but as the journey takes her away from her homeland, she reveals her impulsive and rebellious nature. As you are nearing Sagrava, she has positively annoyed every senior member of the crew by dismissing any notion of discipline on the ship and managed to deeply offend the gnome. Everyone but him kept silent about her missing pinky finger on the left hand, but Gelik couldn’t let the opportunity slip and remarked that it probably makes her swim slower. Bursting in an eerie giggle, she drew a strange inversely curved dagger and replied ‘let me cut off yours and then I’ll challenge you to a race’ . After that event everyone tried to steer clear of her, but she didn’t seem to mind.

[Flykiller]

Days -1 to 0:

As you get to know the crew better, you take a certain fondness for Alton Devers, the ship’s first mate. He seems to fit the ideal image of a naval officer: he is always respectful with both the crew and the passengers, yet his orders are always obeyed almost vehemently. He is never seen drunk , tired or dirty, and he seems to be all a captain could dream of.

The captain, Alizandru Kovack, does not seem to value what he has, though. Although he is kind to the passengers, whenever you see him with his crew or Alton, he is always shouting at them, calling them maggots and rascals and the like. At first, the crew seem to be used to it and don’t pay much attention to his demeanor, as long as he runs the ship well. But after the Jenivere has left her final stop at Senghor, the atmosphere on the ship starts to worsen, and you often see the seamen throwing spiteful stares behind the captain’s back.

Everyone but Zak]

As you manage to catch the ship’s cook, Rambar Terillo, for an informal chat, the topic is inevitably brought up. ”Shhh! Don’t tell anyone, but it’s her! It must be her! That Ieana girl, have you met her? Well she has been on this trip from day one, and the cap’n is suddenly acting up! Rumors travel fast on this ship, and you may have heard that she might be the real owner of Jenivere checking up on the cap’n incognito. Or that she is a Chelish agent of some sort, sent to spy on our trade secrets. Well that’s bull****, I tell you! It’s not the damn girl’s fault! Listen to me, it might be my first run on the Jenivere, but I’ve been in the seafaring business for almost 30 years, and I’ve seen my share of cap’ns. The old coot’s gone mad! Bonkers, I tell ya! He has the hots for this girl and it’s clear as a sunny day at sea! Let me tell ya something: this voyage has gone too well thus far. Everyone knows it. Not a single storm, pirate, or a reef in sight for over 3 months! Jenivere has run out of her good luck, and it is this wench who has spelled her doom! We don’t mind the ol’ cap’n Kovack but he’s getting sloppy. Our Jenkins here, the boatswain, has made some charts of his own and they show that we are heading off course for the last week. He told Alton but Alton just shook his head and dismissed him. The cap’n just stopped caring for good ol’ Jenivere once he’s found himself a wench! Look, take my advice: if anything funny starts, you better take the winning side - our side. Got it? Now off you go, before my loose tongue gets me hanged on a railing.

OOC:
You can now make some IC posts to reflect on what you've learned so far. I'm starting the action tonight.

[Vacant]

Cateline imagines she's on deck, watching the waves roll into the ship's bow and away again from its stern as, not for the first time, she tries to tell if she is moving her head back and forth or the sea is doing the job for her. The food on her plate is mostly untouched — or, rather, uneaten, for she had spent the better part of the meal pushing it aimlessly around and around the plate — and her eyes remain downcast even as the cook speaks to her. It was the cook, not just the motion of her head, that made her think of the waves from the deck; his grim pronouncements and all their conspiratorial gravitas simply washed in one of her ears and out the other, suspicions and superstitions as muddled as the sea and salt of the waves.

She said it was the humidity, to herself and to anyone who asked when she felt like answering, it was the humidity that hadn't had a storm to break it. The humidity made her leg ache where it had once been broken, and the flayleaf helped her sleep. She'd learned in the arena that it wasn't like the other things people used to kill the pain, your body didn't learn to depend on it. She hadn't learned that your body never learning to depend on it didn't mean you wouldn't. In truth, it wasn't her leg that hurt, it was the nightmares. It still left her like this, half in the world and half in another, when she awoke after a day's rest, as the sun was setting. The rotgut grog doesn't help, she realizes as she realizes he's told her to be on the winning side — If there were, I would be — and she pushes the mug away from, still staring down at the food. "Anyone want it," she says, hardly asking, with a half-gesture of her hand at the rum. "I've had all I can take." As if the attention the question, quiet as it was, would bring were too much to bear, she pushes her hat farther down over her face; like the half-truth about flayleaf and her leg, the hat she wore hid her face from far more than the scorching sun, whether she'd admit it or not. The sun stung her skin, the stares seared her scars and her bent nose and her uneven jaw worse than it ever could.

Thinking on her insecurities, the hand thar pushed away her rum reaches down to her side, brushes reassuringly against the cool metal of her chainmail shirt and down to the flail at her hip, whose pommel had come to be like a worry-stone to her. Her preferred polearms were too unwieldy for places like this, but her flail she could trust; she'd rehearsed her dance with it enough times to need no reassurance about that. Trip two-three, wait for him to rise two-three, swing against his momentum two-three, change partners. It wasn't the kind of dance her sister had shown her, but the time for that sort of dancing had passed twice now. With her mind on fighting, Cateline realizes she actually will need to choose a side, should it come to mutiny. The captain and the cook had earned no particular sway in her heart or her esteem, nor had most of the rest of the crew. The first mate displayed competence at his current duties, but who knows how he is in a fight? Aerys would probably side with him, though, and she'd proven herself. Besides, she's one of the few Cateline knows she respects on board the ship; Aerys cared for herself and minded her own business, two traits Cateline's always held in high esteem.

Hopefully it wouldn't come to a mutiny at all; if the gods were anything more than the inventions of mages who wanted even more power, they could do her one blessing to alleviate a lifetime of cruelty and simply allow her to take the bones to where they needed to be buried. Cateline wants only one thing, and truly it's a very small thing to ask. With a rueful, jagged-toothed smile her hat hides from the world, Cateline remembers how many small things the gods have denied her up until now; if they exist, they're playing cards with one another, not listening to the prayers of Little People like her. Not that she'd grovel low enough to ask, any more; as she runs her thumb over the pommel of her flail, Cateline remembers she has all the gods she needs at her side, even now.

[stack]

Grachius looks at his plate with equal portions desire and dread, far too many of his shipboard meals returning to visit at the slightest chop of waves. Gives me hills, trees,even a blasted city knows how to hold still...never again, never boarding another ship.

The cook's words draw his attention. He scowls but holds his tongue. A faithless man, quick to turn on his captain and companions on the slimmest reasons. I should think the captain would know his chars better than any here. Bah, just let them keep there heads until we see land. Rather talk to a chipmunk than this cook. At least they have an excuse for idle, senseless words.

[Nixed]

Iain is also unhappy but generally silent at the cooks suspicions. Any gambler knows the best way to ruin a run of good luck is to point out how lucky you've been. His experience as a sailor had been fairly limited before this trip, but he'd found it fairly pleasant up to this point. The crew was generally an affable sort who were interested in games in their off hours, and he'd been able to trade off some of his wares to ingratiate himself with the lot, though any intrinsic value had been lost to bad dice and what he'd not sold off he'd been able to use to keep away the worst of the seasickness.

Best of all though, so far no one here was trying to kill him, at least up until this talk of funny things happening and taking sides.

[Flykiller]

Day 0:
Everyone but Zak:

You spend the night uneasily, looking out for a possible mutiny on the ship. However, the crew seems hesitant to take any real action, especially as their destination is so close. Finally, next evening you are greeted by news which brings you some unexpected relief: the Jenivere is scheduled to dock in Eredel on the day after, and captain Kovack is arranging a dinner for all the passengers and crew to celebrate the imminent successful completion of the voyage. As you arrive down to the ship’s galleys, you see Rambar running back and forth with the dishes, the sailors giving him stares of surprised appreciation.The food includes pickles, spiced fish, roasted seafood and even gravy, among other things. Rambar has outdone himself today. As you sit down and start eating, you notice that the captain is in a surprisingly good mood today. Perhaps he has finally realized, with Alton’s help, that he was treating his crew unfairly and wants to make up to them? Or perhaps it is Rambar’s culinary surprises which have softened him up. Indeed, he seems especially beaming whenever Rambar brushes past him. You also notice that Ieana is not attending.
Perception DC15

You’re pretty sure she wasn’t in her cabin either, as her cabin’s door wasn’t locked when you were gathering for the occasion.

[Flykiller]

Day 0:
Zak:

You skulk in the shadows as the unusual feast begins, looking for the opportunity to snatch some unattended supplies. However pretty soon you realize that something is going horribly wrong, as one after another, the passengers and the crew turn greenish and fall unconscious. Within a minute, the only people left standing are the captain and his first mate, who don’t seem to be aware of the havoc which surrounds them. The cook is mysteriously nowhere to be found again.
As the captain orders the first mate Alton upstairs, you try to awake the people lying on the floor, but to no avail. You notice that their pupils are unnaturally dilated and their lips and tongues swollen and blackened.
Heal DC15:
You recognize the symptoms of severe oil of taggit poisoning. While non-lethal, the dose was probably enough to bring down a bear. They will spend hours if not days in this state.

Suddenly, you hear the sounds of battle upstairs. You run to the deck as swiftly as possible while keeping a low profile, and find Alton and captain Kovack, who seemed like best friends just minutes ago, locked in a furious battle near the ship’s steering wheel. As the swords clash, Alton cries out: You’re a madman, Alizandru! You have doomed us all! Surrender and I will spare your life!
The opponents seem to be evenly matched, but finally Alton loses his composure as he sees something, or someone, behind the captain’s back and screams in surprise: ”YOU!!! What have...” Before he is able to finish the sentence, he is wounded by the captain’s rapier and backs away, clutching his side.

You don’t have a chance to see what happens next, as you are swept from your feet by a mighty, thunderous blow, and you are knocked unconscious by flying headfirst into a mast. The Jenivere has crashed into a reef.

[Flykiller]

Day 1:
Zak:

Slowly your senses start to return to you. You realize you're no longer on the ship as you feel the wet sand beneath you and the sound of the running waves. You feel something heavy on your feet, and immediately there is a searing jolt of pain in your leg. Lose 1 hp.

You jump to your feet and almost fall unconscious again because of the terrible headache. There is a big swollen hematoma on your head. You have the sickened condition and take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. You are unarmed.

Through bleary eyes you see a dozen of unconscious bodies lying on the sand, who you vaguely recognize as the passengers of the Jenivere. A big pile of gear is stacked in the center, roughly 15 feet away. You hear a strange clacking noise right below you, and are startled at the sight of a strange creature.

It looks like a big lobster, with the addition of a menacing tail with a stinger, akin that of a scorpion. It seems about as startled by your sudden movements as you are, and scurries away to the next body. Looking around, you see 3 more of the creatures on the sand, nipping away with their claws at the hapless bodies.

3 other creatures bite Catelina, Iain and Liam, who wake up. The surprise round is over, but no PCs got a chance to act.

[Flykiller]

Combat map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjUFCJ5ZoN9PdHlQUTJTLTFTaDRjcWhYZXQ0bExFV Hc&hl=en_GB#gid=1)
Starting a pleasant conversation while dining is the last thing you remember clearly. After that, there’s nothing but a confusing jumble of images, akin to a nightmare - the vague, distant feelings of nausea, panic, fear and drowning. After that, everything falls dark and silent, until the sensations begin to creep in again. You feel the sand below you, something wet is lapping at your feet. You can hear the sound of the ocean washing against a beach and a heavy pressure over your legs.
Catelina, Iain, Liam

Suddenly, you awaken from a searing pain in one foot. each of you takes 1 HP damageAs you open your eyes, and try to get on your feet, you are overcome with nausea and disorientation from the recent turmoil. You have the sickened condition and take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Liam also gets -2 to AC - such is the way of the natural 1. You are unarmed.
Through bleary eyes you see several unconscious bodies of the rest of the Jenivere passengers. A big pile of gear is stacked in the center, roughly 15 feet away. There are four strange creatures on the sand, lurking between the bodies, avoiding those who move and preferring to bite the unconscious ones. There is a starved and unkempt looking man, who's been bitten by one of the creatures and tries to fend them off.
For you, this is a surprise round. The creatures who awakened you with their bites are ahead of you on initiative and get to act normally.

Zak,Catelina, Iain, Liam

Enemy actions:
Creature 1 bites Aerys, who is immediately awakened. She acts between Iain and Liam, sending the creature flying with a powerful kick without a second thought (Atk: 16 Dmg:4). The creature lands upside down and doesn’t move, apparently dead from the concussion.
Creature 2 moves away from awakened Catelina to the unconscious monk. It bites him, but the monk doesn’t move - maybe he didn’t survive the ordeal.
Creature 3 bites the still manacled prisoner. He gets up awkwardly and acts last, trying to slam the creature with his manacles but missing, unsteady from the exhaustion. The creature takes advantage and bites him again.
Creature 4 bites Ishirou, who jumps up as a loose spring, shrieks something in Tien language and slams the creature down with his elbow. (atk:20 dmg:3 nonlethal). Something cracks inside the creature, but it is still able to move and angrily points its tail at Ishirou, but he deftly avoids the stinger.

Everyone but Zak treats this as a surprise round. Zak is up.

[Piper]

Zak, still rather confused and lacking his divine focus, at least has a little bit of experience in the wild. Seeing these creatures, he searches his throbbing head for anything of note about them.

Knowledge nature check on creatures: [roll0]

If he thinks they are wild enough for him to empathize, he'll try it.
Wild Empathy: [roll1]

If not, he'll shout a warning to the others and try to find some cover to hide behind. (There was none on the map, but maybe there's some wreckage lying about. OTHER than the gear pile)

[Major]

Kel slowly came to consciousness and fear filled his body as he pieced what had happened. He must have been poisoned! The church probably had him! Not wanting to jump to conclusions he kept his eyes closed and didn't move other than to slightly reach for his belt. As the ex-inquisitor feared, his blade was missing. The water under his face surprised him though and he looked around and realized it didn't look like a church torture hall.

He glanced behind him and let out a curse as he saw the scorpion behind him. He quickly stumbled backwards to move away and towards the weapon pile he saw. He realized his blade was there and he would need to get it quickly.

As he moved for the pile he looked the creature up and down quickly trying to match it with his training from being an Inquisitor to find out any weaknesses it had.


knowledge nature: [roll0]
Move action to go for the masterwork longsword. Standard to grab it from pile

Omg...I stupidly just realized I didn't save my feats. I will be waiting till post combat (to ensure that there is no unfair 'pick feats to help' accusations) and will go this combat with no feats. I have no idea how I missed that >.> I'm so sorry.

[Flykiller]

Illustration (https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzUFCJ5ZoN9PZjFiZDA3MDQtODAwOS00NTZiLWFkM jUtZjQwYjBhMzQ4YTQ5)
Current map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjUFCJ5ZoN9PdHlQUTJTLTFTaDRjcWhYZXQ0bExFV Hc&hl=en_GB#gid=1)
Zak has found a nearby log to hide behind. He tries to recall something about the creatures but his head hurts too much to allow it. They certainly don't seem to be intelligent enough to try to empathize with them. They are vermin, not animals, and you need a special feat Vermin Heart to do it.

Cateline moves in to help the manacled prisoner and flanks a creature.

Kel twitches and moans on the ground, but he still needs a moment to overcome the nausea and get up. You’ll get a surprise round as the next turn starts

Iain and Liam are up for the end of Round 1.

[Nixed]

Coming to he blinks and scrambles to his feet warily. As he notices the others being attacked he reaches down to feel for his pouch, finding it soaked and not wanting to risk trying to concoct something together that might not work he moves towards the pile of gear to attempt to find something he can use to help.


Move to T11

[Flykiller]

Iain:

T11? Really? It might be a google docs glitch, but I had you start at R18, between Ishirou and Jask - that's 8 squares away from T11 and past the pile. Did you mix up your starting point maybe? Based on your descripion i'd estimate you should head no further than T13, so I'll place you there provisionally.

[Nixed]

Yeah I read it wrong I meant 13. Thanks

[Flykiller]

Grachius:
Starting a pleasant conversation while dining is the last thing you remember clearly. After that, there’s nothing but a confusing jumble of images, akin to a nightmare - the vague, distant feelings of nausea, panic, fear and drowning. After that, everything falls dark and silent, until the sensations begin to creep in again. You feel the sand below you, something wet is lapping at your feet. You can hear the sound of the ocean washing against a beach.
As you open your eyes and try to get on your feet, you are overcome with nausea and disorientation from the recent turmoil. You have the sickened condition and take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. You are unarmed.. You see the passengers of the Jenivere around you, some conscious and others not, fending off several lobster-like creatures. Instinctively, you pray to Erastil to spare your allies and grant them luck in their battle.
Grachius casts Bless. Everyone gets +1 to attack and saving throws vs. Fear

As described earlier, Aerys charges to S1 and kills it.

EDIT: Liam's action to follow
As described earlier, the prisoner tries to attack S3 but misses.

Round 2:

Ishirou has reached to his hip for the sword, and it has only now dawned on him that he is unarmed. For the first time, his face openly shows any emotion, as he turns around in panic and, seeing the engraved scabbard glistening in the pile, abandons his defenses and dashes forward to grasp it.
AOO from S4: Attack [roll0] Damage [roll1], move to R15. As he draws the blade, which is in pristine condition, he turns around with newfound confidence.

Kel has finally come to and got up slowly. His mind acts weirdly in a state of shock, and when he sees the attacking creatures, he has a sort of a vision - it is as if he’s back in church again, several years younger, preparing for his ‘Tropical Monster Lore’ exam. The page from the ‘Nautiliaum Monstrum Compendium Magnanimum’ reads:
Known to some as sea scorpions, eurypterids are aquatic crustaceans that blur the line between their terrestrial cousins and lobsters. Primeval and voracious, these vermin range in size from relatively harmless ochre eurypterids the size ofa dog up to the truly immense spitting eurypterids. There are even rumors of yet larger beasts, called whaleeating eurypterids by sailors. Regardless of their size, all share one thing in common-an aggressive attitude.
Eurypterids lash out at anything that might be food, and once they've tasted prey, are single-minded in their pursuit. Although quite at home in the open sea, most eurypterids are capable ofscuttling around on land and can exist out of water indefinitely. Unlike rats, eurypterids don't spread disease or cause much damage to most cargos-traits that have led some captains to experiment with seeding colonies of ochre eurypterids in their holds to keep rodent populations under control. Alas, one can often tell the ships that use this tactic by the unusually high number of crewmen with missing fingers.

Zak is up.

[Major]

I take it Kel can act now? If so he is going for the weapons pile to grab his masterwork longsword. Want to check I can move before I post fluff.

[Flykiller]

Kel:

Yes, you can act now, but this is a surprise round for you, so only one action - move or standard.
Also I've composed the previous post in a hurry, and didn't include an important thing you should know about the creatures. Tthese are ochre eurypterids, the smallest and weakest of their kind, but their tail stingers are poisonous. The poison is a paralytic neurotoxin, but the dose is too small to neutralize a human. Still, it can cause numbness and slow reactions.

Also my AOO rolls were spoiled by previewing the previous post, so here we go again:
Attack:[roll0], Damage:[roll1]

[stack]

Grachius quickly surveys the scene. The others are here...well enough for the moment. What could have...blast, no time for that. Unnatural beasts attacking, men wounded. First things first.

He quickly steps to the pile if gear, spying his worn and tarnished morningstar, a companion on many long hours in the forest. He pulls it free with all the energy he can muster, readying himself on unsteady feet.

move to Q13, then drawing his weapon.

[Major]

Kel knew he didn't have much time and that he would have to use that time to get away from the monsters and to the pile. He quickly gaged the distance in his head and realized he'd be able to get to the pile, but not get his sword right away. Still, it was better than standing around like an idiot. Quickly he pushed himself to his feat and dashed for the pile.

[DungeonMonkey]

This takes place second last in the initiative order, before Jask but after everyone else.

Liam groggily opened his eyes, his head pounding. Everything was bleary, and where was he? Did he have too much ale? He didn't remember having any. Then, suddenly, he noticed the creature (or perhaps monster would be a better description) no more than eight feet away from him. Monsters, rather, as there were three, scattered through the area, and one more dead (or maybe just sleeping).

Panicking, Liam scrambled back (move to M14), reaching for his belt as if something would be there.

The world suddenly became sharp and in focus, objects leaping forth from the background and everything turning contrasting colors. Liam's eyelids drooped, and his body relaxed, as his eidolon's presence in his mind allowed him to grasp everything that was going on around him.

Be free.

The voice of his eidolon came from his mouth in a whisper. It was musical, but at the same time not completely human. It had no gender or race, no age, and yet it was filled with joy and love and happiness. His body not completely under his control, Liam raised one hand, and a beautiful bird, colored gray like the clouds on a stormy day, came into being right above the monster. (Summon Monster 1, Smite Evil (+1 damage if it's evil), full attack, use my existing rolls rolls, doesn't provoke AOO because I summoned it adjacent)

[Flykiller]

Kel:

You didn't specify the exact target for your movement, so I'm moving you in the shortest path possible to T14 if that's alright. As S2 still threatens you, it provokes an AOO.

As Kel dashes for the pile, the monster who was busy gnawing on the monk's breathless body became alert of the sudden movement behind it and quickly thrust his claw in Kel's direction.
AOO from S2: Attack:[roll0], Damage:[roll1]
It then returns to its occupation, oblivious to the fight around. It must be quite hungry.

Zak continues to wait from behind the log, lacking the ability to contribute effectively. He realizes that the way to his gear is clear from the monsters, but he is wary of the other survivors.

The monster between Cateline and the prisoner doesn't like being surrounded by two tall humans, and decides to look for easier, preferably dead, food. Fortunately for it, there is Sasha's unconscious body nearby. It moves as far as it can from the attackers and takes a nip at Sasha, who wakes up with a shriek. The attackers are unarmed and can't stop it. Sasha's init:[roll2]

The last monster is angered at Ishirou and is unwilling to let him go. It moves 5 ft. towards him and attacks:
Claw 1: Attack:[roll3], Damage:[roll4]
Claw 2: Attack:[roll5], Damage:[roll6]
Tail: Attack:[roll7], Damage:[roll8]

Everyone else is up, I've already got Grachius's action. I'll have a post for the NPC's up soon.

EDIT: Ninja'd by Liam and all the enemy attacks missed.

[Nixed]

Quickly sifting through the equipment he recovers his crossbow and quickly loads a bolt into it as he turns using the pile of stuff to cover his back.


Standard: get light crossbow
Move: load crossbow

[Major]

Sorry about that, I was in a hurry at the time. Thanks, that square works fine and I figured it'd provoke an AoO, but guessed I could dodge it...sure enough I did :)

Kel barely dodges the strike. He felt his reflexes slowed and realized he still wasn't in good shape. Normally an attack like that wouldn't have gotten even close to him.

As he arrived at the pile he quickly knocked things left and right looking for his beautifully crafted blade. He saw it underneath some pieces and quickly dug through it fearing he'd be stabbed in the back while he searched. However, he eventually got to it and yanked the weapon out before turning to face combat.

Standard action to draw weapon. Not moving, the turning around/facing is just fluff

[Flykiller]

The bird dives down at a monster with a screech, but its talons nearly miss the mark. It flaps its wings wildly as it hovers just over the monster and bites it. The beak hits a soft spot between the feelers, and it is enough to bring the already wounded creature down. With another loud cry the bird soars up in the air again.

Sasha gets up with a whiny expression on her face as if ready to burst into tears, but noticing what awakened her she lets out a hysterical giggle. She dashes to the gear pile to find a stick long enough to keep the ugly arthropod at bay. It clasps its pincer in an attempt to literally get a piece of her. Moving roughly diagonally to S12, AOO from S3: atk [roll0], dmg [roll1]

Aerys stays true to herself and charges all the way towards the creature gnawing on the helpless monk, attempting to kick it away like a ball. Charge Q9-W12. Attack at -2 sickness, -1 PA, +2 Charge, +1 Bless = normal AB: [roll2], damage: [roll3], but the creature turned its attention to Aerys in time, managing to evade the lethal blow.

The prisoner is shaken and disoriented. He isn't sure if he should be more afraid of the monsters or of the people fighting them, and slowly backs away from the combat area. Move to T21

Current map (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjUFCJ5ZoN9PdHlQUTJTLTFTaDRjcWhYZXQ0bExFV Hc&hl=en_GB#gid=1)

[Major]

Twirling his blade he quickly turned and looked over the battlefield scanning each target. He would need to move fast and hit hard. He wished he had time to grab the rest of his things, but that would have to wait. For now all he needed was his longsword.

His training had taught him how to move quickly, with purpose, and with stealth and as such he quickly moved around the battlefield staying out of range of the creatures until he was ready. Once he had moved a ways he turned back and stabbed right at the back of one of the beast.

First move straight line to Y14 then up 5 to Y13. Does Tiu give me flanking or are they down? If flanking add +2 to my roll.

Attack: [roll0] (+2 if flanking)
Damage: [roll1]

[Flykiller]

Kel you forgot the sickened condition, so while you get flanking from Aerys you also get -2 from that and your roll remains at 13.
Kel's attack misses by an inch, leaving but a scratch on the monster's carapace.

Cateline chases the creature and charges at it with her bare hands and feet. The monster attempts to intercept her charge with its pointy tail stinger but misses AOO roll =8 . Cateline’s blow barely hits the creature, but luckily it strikes a sensitive spot and the vermin is knocked out by the strength of the blow.

[Flykiller]

EDIT: the rolls were spoiled

[Flykiller]

Liam's eagle attacks the remaining monster:
Atk: [roll0], Dmg: [roll1]
The monster decides that the armed Kel is the biggest threat, and retaliates:
Claw 1:(1d20)[13], (1d2-1)[1]
Claw 2:(1d20)[6], (1d2-1)[0]
Tail:(1d20)[15], (1d2-1)[0]
Kel parries the claws with his sword but doesn't notice the treacherous stinger in time as it strikes his thigh. The pain isn't sharp ,but immediately Kel feels his leg starting to go numb.

Kel - Fort save please.

[Flykiller]

Ishirou looks puzzled and slightly disappointed as the strange bird has appeared out of nowhere and finished the creature he was about to attack. But he doesn't linger too long, as he hurries to the last remaining creature in an attempt to strike it down.
Atk:[roll0], Dmg:[roll1]
However, luck seems to have abandoned him as he misses the almost surrounded foe.

[Major]

That I did, that I did. Thanks for reminding me.

Fort save: [roll0] (assuming its a poison :P otherwise its only +4)

Edit: curse my rolls...

[Flykiller]

Kel feels the numbness go away fast, replaced by a sore and itching feeling in the wounded area. It's unpleasant but does not hamper movement. He realizes the poison didn't have its full effect this time.

Sasha has discovered Cateline's horsechopper in the pile. She looks at it, slightly puzzled - she's clearly never seen one before. She then takes a few thrusts at the air with it and, satisfied with the handling, prepares to charge at the creature.

Cateline herself, seeing the monster clearly outnumbered, decides it's time to get her other weapons from the pile while others haven't plundered them, and picks up a halberd.

Iain shoots his crossbow into the fray from close range and reloads.
Atk:[roll0] Dmg:[roll1]

[Flykiller]

Aerys continues to pummel the creature, grunting with effort.
Atk:[roll0] Dmg:[roll1]

The last monster is extremely lucky so far. Liam and Grachius are up for the end of Round 3, and Kel and Zak may start Round 4.

[stack]

Grachius rushes around the pile of gear, closing with the remaining monster. As he closes, he rapidly expands, doubling his height as he reaches over Aerys and strikes down with the worn weapon, his newly elongated arms easily clearing his fellow passenger.

move to V12 (should have started at Q13, per previous action)
swift action using the growth power to enlarge person for 1 round, granting reach, +2 str, -2 dex, -1 att/ac
attack [roll0] (-2 sickened, -1 large, +1 str bonus, +1 bless, 2 base)
damage [roll1]

ac 13, hp 9

[Major]

Keeping up his offense despite the injury, Kel slashes for the creature again. Others had joined him and it was only a matter of time before it went down.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Flykiller]

You get a surreal feeling of looking at a world through a magnifying glass for a moment. You all watch in awe as the 5-foot long spiked mace literally squashes the monster, turning it into a messy pile of chitinous shells, white innards and slightly blueish semi-transparent blood. Grachius swiftly returns to normal size and the battle is over.

Now that adrenaline level drops in your blood, you come to realize your plight. You are stranded on an unfamiliar land, right when the Jenivere was about to dock in Eleder. None of you has any memories of the last night after the dinner. As you look around, you quickly spot a familiar-looking ship to the north. This is the Jenivere, listing to port, partially submerged, and with her hull a gaping ruin as she leans against a jagged cliff side among several sharp rocks.

The other passengers are here along with you, but there is no sign of the Jenivere's crew. Mostly everyone except for the gnome Pathfinder is awake, either on their own or as a result of the attack. There are two more bodies of a monk and a sorcerer who were on board with you, but a quick check is enough to ascertain they didn't live through the affair. To the one side of the main group is the prisoner, still manacled, shaking, but powerless to run or attack. To the other side of the group is a ragged man you've never seen before, who stares at you but does not move towards you or away.

Aerys and Ishirou quickly and silently gear up, looking like they're used to being in tough ordeals. Sasha seems entranced by the remains of the creature squashed by Grachius, closely examining it and occasionally prodding it with her finger, letting out a nervous giggle.

What do you do?
To determine your location, roll Knowledge(geography, history or local) or Profession(sailor). Some other skills may help you learn more about the situation.

[stack]

Grachius wipes away splattered viscera as he returns to his accustomed proportions.He scowls at the dead creatures. Probably not even safe to eat.

He looks around at the others. Two dead...some wounded. Best see to them. Too late for the others. And the ship...still in sight, wrecked...never should have trusted a blasted boat. Good earth, never leaving the land again.

He speaks with quiet authority. "Gather the wounded close, I will see to them. After, we can see to our circumstances."

He raises the carved symbol from his neck once everyone is close, a warm glow spreading out and closing there wounds and lifting their spirits. He then gathers his armor and, most importantly, his father's bow, which he carefully inspects.

channel energy [roll0]
knowledge local (including +2 bonus from map) [roll1] untrained

Now...where are we?

[Flykiller]

Actually, about those other skills:
Heal DC15:
You recognize the sickening feeling in your gut as an after effect of poisoning. There are poisons which render victims unconscious, which could explain why you don't remember the Jenivere crash.
Survival DC15:
There is a jumbled mess of tracks in the combat zone, but right near the shoreline you manage to spot a clear trail of humanoid footprints leading to and from the water along with a fair number of furrows leading up to where you woke. It seems to suggest that someone dragged you upshore from the water, likely the same person/people who dumped your gear on the beach.

[Major]

Survival: [roll0]

I lack any knowledges so can't roll those

Kel let out a deep breath and looked over the area trying to piece things together. The good news was it wasn't the Church responsible for his predicament. The bad news was he had no idea where he was and was now stranded here.

"Anyone got any ideas where we are?" Kel asked sheathing his longsword and moving towards the pile to find his crossbow.

[Nixed]

Once the threat is eliminated he digs his bags out of the pile before taking a look around.


Various potentially useful rolls.

Knowledge Nature: [roll0]
Survival: [roll1]
Knowledge Geography: [roll2]

[Flykiller]

Knowledge(Nature) or Survival DC15:
You are in a tropical climate and are going to need at least two gallons of fresh water per day to avoid dehydration (half as much for small characters). Fortunately, in the Mwangi region, the chances of finding a clear brook or edible berries, plants and animals are fairly high.
Tropical climates, especially near seas, are prone to frequent bouts of extreme weather - scorching midday sun can be replaced by a torrential downpour in a matter of minutes. Such conditions and reliance on raw food and water contribute to high chance of disease occurring. People not native to the tropical regions typically suffer hard from those.
If you find some means to protect yourself from the environmental hazards, it will let you stay in good shape more often.

[DungeonMonkey]

"Wherever we are, we aren't alone." Liam says darkly. "Unless one of you put our effects in a nice little pile for us."

No checks, I figured that much out a while ago, and my character is at least as smart as me. It's actually kind of obvious, given the fact that they're piled, which isn't something the tide does. And inland. And right next to us. And the ones that sink aren't separate from the ones that float.

Why did you ask for a check, exactly?

While he says this, Liam goes to his possessions. First his spell component pouch (if I wasn't carrying it, is it still soggy?) and his alchemical components, then his back pack (it's uncomfortably heavy), then his sickle and crossbow, which he hang on his belt.

Then, finally, he retrieves the greatsword. It's almost as tall as he is, and he struggles under it's weight. Moreover, he holds it wrong, making it obvious to anyone proficient with the thing that it isn't his.

[Nixed]

"Yeah, it appears we were dragged in from over that way
", Iain responds pointing out the tracks he found.

[Flykiller]

I don't think I've ever objected to characters deducing that someone took care of them while they were unconscious (see Vacant's posts in OOC). The check is still necessary to see the tracks and provide a clue to the exact means of doing so. As for the rest, feel free to jump to conclusions as much as you wish, could make for some fun roleplay.

[stack]

heal [roll0]
survival [roll1]

Will edit in after seeing rolls.

Poison...the cook? He talked of mutiny. Wrecked ship, abandoned but not killed passengers...Seems likely. Mean the ones here where not with the mutineers. Might be trustworthy, might not. Obviously things went poorly for them after we left.

Grachius studies the ruts leading to the water, then scans the environment, feeling the sun starting to beat down on them. He speaks firmly but quietly, any not near must strain to hear him, half-speaking to himself. "We should get out of the sun. I can summon all the water we need. Best to cook any food through. Don't want to get sick. Who knows what disease is in the place?"

"We have been poisoned. Perhaps as part of a mutiny, though judging by the state of the ship I think it ended poorly. I say we collect our gear and see what happened. There may be survivors in need, one way or another. Perhaps the ship can be repaired and still get us to our destinations." Though I'd rather walk. Deadeye watch over us, protect us from raiders, mutineers and unnatural beasts

[Flykiller]

After everyone has grabbed their gear, and Grachius has created enough magical water for everyone to wash themselves and quench their thirst, you take stock of your surroundings.

To the south, a wall of green rises in the form of a dense jungle filled with a cacophony of life. To the east and west, ragged arms of jagged rocks reach out to embrace a wave-tossed cove, while to the north, the waters of the sea surge and churn between the beach and a line of razor-sharp rocks. Some of those rocks have become the last home for the Jenivere.

As you approach closer, you realize with all certainty that the Jenivere will never sail again. Only the fortuitous presence of a sharp ridge of rock near the side of the sheer cliff wall has prevented the wreck from sinking entirely into the sea, for only the ship’s stern seems to have survived the wreck. This portion is wedged at an angle between the cliff and the rocks, and each wave shakes and tosses the wreck alarmingly. It won’t be long before the constant pounding of the waves dislodges the wreck and allows the hungry sea to claim the last of this once-fine ship.

The Jenivere is currently located about 150ft. away from the shoreline. The rocks, which protrude everywhere from the sea, make water swirl and pound at them fiercely, suggesting that the swim will not be a cakewalk. After inspecting the cliffs you notice that the jagged cliffside along the seashore is overlooking the Jenivere’s upper deck, and it can be traversed with caution. However, one wrong movement could lead to fallling down into the churning surf below.

The same rocks seem to suggest that at low tide (on the mornings or evenings) the ship may be reachable by land. You could use your time until the evening for burying the two people who didn’t make it out alive, searching for the basic supplies, and establishing contacts with the other survivors. On the other hand, the midday heat (about 100F and rising) is getting on your nerves and the ship presents a tempting shelter, plus a potential source of useful equipment. Do you choose to swim, climb, or do something else till the evening? You can split if you so desire.

[Vacant]

After strapping her halberd and flail in their places, Cateline turns to Sasha as her hands attend to the new task of reshaping her wide-brimmed hat, "Are you certain you can wield one?" she asks the woman, a hint of a smirk peeking through her concerning doubt. "If not, I'll lend you one of these, instead," Cateline adds, returning her misshapen hat to her head and gesturing to the two smaller, if nonetheless massive, weapons retrieved a moment ago.

As she turns to Grachius, absent-mindedly buckling the last of her armor as she awaits Sasha's response, Cateline's gaze hangs for a moment -- sadly, reverently -- on a large, lumpy bag. "I concur, we should be out of the sun as quickly as we can," she says without a hint of irony, but her eyes still dart back between Grachius and the bag. "Ship or not, we will reach our destination," she adds after a moment of strange silence, her monotone voice cut with an almost threatening determination. Suddenly sullen again, she keeps to herself for the remainder of the walk to the ship, exchanging weapons silently and unthinkingly if Sasha asks, straps and sheathes done and undone by instinct and without removing her gaze from the ground.

Upon reaching the ship, squinting into the shining sun against the waves with a pain plainly more than purely physical, Cateline simply says, "That's that." She looks longingly towards the shade provided by the green canopy, knowing that it will be cooler for all of them in the shadows, but mostly that her dizziness and pain will somewhat subside. Armed, the beasts of the jungle register faintly, if at all for her; she has fought the same and worse, she's certain, in the pits of the mainland when she was a scrawny girl squinting into the sun, before she knew a blade from a bow. Now, they were only meat and all their fangs and claws wouldn't sting as strongly as the summer sun on her skin. Thinking of the sun, Cateline pushes the handle of her flail against her leg, feeling it press against the flayleaf and the troll's blood concoction in her pockets to subtly assure herself they were still there and come making camp, her blisters would heal and sleep would come soundly and easily -- the latter a lie, but a comforting one to believe when gazing as the shattered ruins of one's hope upon the rocks.

[Major]

Kel nodded, "A little ship wreck isn't going to slow me down." He said as he walked over to some of the dead bodies and started searching them. "Start looking for anything we can take with us to help make the trip easier. The dead won't use them and it could determine life or death." Kel said pragmatically to those nearby. He disliked having to rob the dead, but it was a simple fact what he had said.

[Nixed]

Iain had spent part of the time between the encounter and getting ready to move drying his stuff out, not hard in the sun and heat of the beach. "The other problem is there's no way to know how long that wreck will stay there before it breaks apart and drifts back off to sea or sinks. If we're going to go, we aught to do it now. Find what we can then get out once the conditions are more favorable." A trip back into the water in their future, he fills the vials he has with the ingredients in an effort to keep them dry this time.

[DungeonMonkey]

"That's true, but I don't think it will be easy to get to the boat, given that it's all the way over there, and there's water between us and it." Liam says in as diplomatic a way as is possible. "Besides, I don't know about you, but I don't think that the ship or the water is anything resembling safe. Don't forget, we've been here an hour or two at most, and this place has already tried to kill us! And when that happens again, I want to be on dry land, not caught in a riptide, or on a boat that looks like it could collapse at any moment!"


Checks to influence NPC attitude at the next timeskip or other 'empty' time.

Aerys: [roll0]

Ishrou: [roll1]

Sasha: [roll2]

Ragged Man: [roll3]

Durations: [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] [roll7]

The check will change their attitude for better or worse based on my results. The full rules can be found here, although by default they become friendly on a 15+Cha modifier, or helpful on a 20+Cha modifier.

[stack]

Grachius looks over the wreck. He points to the clifftop. "That overhang, how high above the deck do you think it is? I have about 50' of rope. If we can get enough, we can lower someone light and sure footed onto the deck. Anything too big for them we can go back for when the tide is out." Blasted city-dwellers don't have rope, I bet. Who goes anywhere without rope?

He keeps his bow in hand and watches inland as the speak, the wary outdoorsman keeping an eye out for more surprises.

[Flykiller]

Cateline:
“Here’s your big toy, it’s too cumbersome to play with. Now please do give mine back.” Sasha replies in a whiny, childish tone. After the exchange is done, she carefully inspects both blades, holding them gently, as if they could break or vanish at any moment. Finally satisfied, she sheathes them and looks at you with her ever so sudden grin. “Your face has sunburns already. There are things to help with that, you know. Special ointments which let you stay in the sun all day. When we get out of here, I’ll ask mother to send you some.”, she says cheerfully, her voice confident you’ll be at Eleder no later than tomorrow. You realize she’s still in a mental shock and her mind can’t fully process what’s going on.

Kel:
While searching for unclaimed things you discover: a shortbow with 40 arrows, a potion, black, opaque, gleaming, and viscous, and a scroll case. Inside the case is a slightly curled up from moisture but mostly undamaged scroll with arcane markings on it.

Liam:
The ragged man is actually Piper’s character, who got a separate beginning since as a stowaway, he didn’t interact with you on the ship. I hope Piper returns, otherwise Zak will join the NPC side.
I’ll use your roll for Gelik, the gnome bard, who was unconscious during the first fight.

The ragged man walks towards you cautiously. “I’m Zak. I’ve been hiding on board of the Jenivere because I couldn’t afford the ticket. It doesn’t matter much now, does it?” He looks at you with a hopeful expression on his face, as if he’s afraid you’re going to put him in manacles for his “crime”. “If only he would listen to Alton...”

Grachius:
The cliff is actually not too high above the deck level, maybe 10’. From the sea/beach level it is much higher, of course, at least 40'. But the only sloped ledge is overlooking the ship itself, there is no easy way up the cliff in sight. You could try to find one by going deeper into the jungle. Climbing up the cliff with the help of a rope would be no easier than climbing sideways to the ship. But you realize that with the right tactics and a bit of luck, the rope could help you not to fall into the sea from the cliffside.

[Vacant]

"I carry Troll Styptic," Cateline responds gruffly after securing the last of her weapons once it was returned, wary of when weaknesses were seen, before catching that the upbeat tone and optimistic prediction for supplies meant that this girl wasn't the kind of person she'd spent her life fighting and killing. "Still, I'd be grateful when we see her," she amends, more softly, trying to turn her scarred lips away from a frown, perhaps unsuccessfully. "Who's mother?" she asks, stupidly, a moment later, doing her best at consolation, a skill of which little is learned over a life in the arena. Before the answer comes, though, plans fly around her, and her face again turns sour.

"We should go on the ship now, in case it's hurtled out to see at any minute?" she asks, her deeper-than-usual scowl revealing what she thinks of the idea, if her customary monotone does not convey the appropriate incredulity. Looking at the largely silent Aerys as a hopeful voice of reason, she asks "Do you support this madness?" adding to the rest, "Do what you will, I still have at least one thing to live for, and it's not a worthless risk."

[Flykiller]

A mother?? You know, one who raises you, and teaches you, and... Sasha abruptly stops, her smile has now gone bland and vacant. Grateful when you see her? That's funny! Don't you have one too? She laughs unnaturally, almost maniacally. Even if she's visibly unstable, her words are still quite offensive. Before you can respond, she runs off.

Aerys regards both of you with a frown. I don't support idle chatter in such peril, she says coldly. While I hope for the best, I prepare for the worst. This ship, or what remains of it, is not going to sink in a minute or two, it would already be deep down if that were the case. But the tidal waves or a storm could finish it off, and you can never know when such things can come. I think we may well be stuck here for days, if not weeks, before another ship comes or we find a way to civilization. Our top priority is finding food and shelter on the land, but the ship can have things to help us get it done faster, and survive longer. It would be a waste to let it go to the seabed.

[Nixed]

Nods in agreement with Aerys. "We've already been attacked out here with two dead, and you're proposing staying put, or wandering aimlessly into the jungle is the safer option? We need to see if there might be undamaged food and navigational equipment so we can figure out where we are and which way we need to go. At the very least we can salvage some sail to build shelter."


A few knowledge checks while I'm here. looking to see if he can see any weather coming or their basic location or anything else useful.

Nature: [roll0]
Geography: [roll1]
Survival: [roll2]

[stack]

Grachius frowns, a common enough expression for the reserved priest. "I have little fear of forest. I say we loop around, try to reach the top of the rock. Stay back a bit and let me ask the locals if there are any large predators around."

He stalks off into the jungle, bow ready, arrow notched.

looking for something low on the food chain to talk to, using the speak with animals domain power

[Flykiller]

Grachius:
As you make your first steps into the jungle, you hear the noises of wilderness, but don’t actually see anything. As you progress about 30ft. further, your companions can no longer be seen or heard from behind the thick overgrowth. Only now you can appreciate the incredible density and variety of local wildlife.
Above you, colourful birds of all sizes and shapes fly between the tree canopies. Slightly below, monkeys are cackling from the branches and lianas. Ahead you see a small herd of goats grazing on the undergrowth. Large butterflies flap their wings in front of your face. But the biggest diversity is under your feet. Watching carefully, you discern at least two dozen species of beetles, spiders, centipedes, caterpillars,snails, lizards, and a snake.

Eventually, you decide that a goat and a human would probably share the most natural threats, and approach the herd. You try stay upwind, so that your smell doesn’t alert the male goat quickly, and call out one of the goats using the animal tongue.
Formulate your questions, and I'll give the answers in the next post.

Iain:
You can't make Knowledge checks untrained, so you are still clueless as to your exact location.

You don't notice anything unusual, compared to what you already know about the general climate of this region. At the moment the sky is clear, the waves are moderately calm, and any of the telltale signs of a coming storm or a monsoon are absent. You can be reasonably sure it's going to rain as the sun sets down and the air cools, but that's to be expected in this climate.

[stack]

Grachius:The priest lowers his bow and calls out to the goats. "Greetings friends. I mean you no harm. What dangers are there nearby?"

(if that is answered satisfactorily)

"Do you know a good way up that big rock?" He points.

[Flykiller]

Grachius:The priest lowers his bow and calls out to the goats. "Greetings friends. I mean you no harm. What dangers are there nearby?"

“Many. As above, so below. We must be wary and stick together. Many eyes and ears better than two. You are danger too.”


(if that is answered satisfactorily)

"Do you know a good way up that big rock?" He points.

“Yes. We used to graze there, but ran out of grass. Here is more grass, but more death,too. Go forward until a river, don’t cross it, turn left. The river will go away but you continue. Look up.”

You understand the last sentence literally, and instinctively raise your head. About 30ft. above, you see a brightly-coloured parrot clenched in a fight with another bird. Red, yellow and blue feathers slowly whirl down through the air. Perception check please.

[Flykiller]

Grachius:

The predator flies off with its lifeless prey. It definitely didn't look large enough to be able to carry a goat, but a flyer of this size could threaten stray lambs. You are left wondering if the goat meant some threat from above or the fight simply caught its attention. Goats are not the smartest creatures, individually.

[stack]

Grachius heads back to the others. "I believe I have found a way to reach the top of the cliff. We will be safer if we stay together. Additionally, there are apparently less predators up there than down here.Getting out of the sun won't hurt either. Let us go." He stands firmly, confident in his plan, though dreading the inevitable argument.

[Major]

Kel grabs the bow and arrows in case they were needed in the future. Better safe than sorry. He glances at the potion and sets it aside. He didn't have a way to fully identify it, but he could check it for poison. Quickly he drew on his magic to sense any poison. Then he opened the scroll and skimmed it to try and recognize what it was.


Detect Poison, Read magic, both level zero so at-will mwahahhahaa

[Nixed]

Leaving the convincing to Grachius, he looks over at Kel. "Anything useful?"

[Flykiller]

The potion is not poisonous.
Looking at the scroll through a glass prism, Kel deciphers the arcane writing. The scroll allows the invoker to make his voice appear as if sounding from another place altogether. Ventriloquism (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/spells/ventriloquism.html)

[Major]

"Well, I got a short bow and arrows if anyone is missing a ranged weapon. I also got some potion, not sure what. But it isn't poisonous. And this scroll which..." He mumbles at bit as he reads it, "Seems to be like ventriloquism in magic form."

[Nixed]

"A potion huh?" Makes his way over there. "I can probably tell you what that is."


Identify potion w/ craft alchemy, assuming he hands the potion over. Not sure if that needs a roll or not.
Craft Alchemy: [roll0]

[Major]

"Yeah, have at it." Kel says handing over the potion. "Better for us to know and be able to use it."

[Flykiller]

Iain identifies the liquid as the potion of grease.

[Flykiller]

As Grachius announces his intention to delve deeper into the jungle, Ishirou frowns. “All can not go. We need to get food. We need to make sure no one is hurt.” - his eyes dart to Sasha in the distance as he says that. “We have to keep an eye on him”. He points at the prisoner sulking nearby. “Me and Aerys will do all that, and you go and try to bring something useful from the ship”.

Grachius, Kel, Iain, Liam and Cateline wander into the jungle, having to literally hack their way through the thick overgrowth. The jungle is teeming with exotic creatures, but thankfully you don’t encounter anything dangerous enough to threaten you. In the distance you hear the loud screams of monkeys and screeches of strange birds.

After about 15 minutes you come to a stream of water. Grachius leads you to the left and you notice that the terrain starts sloping up slightly, with the high cliff now on your left side. The unpleasant bird screeches become even louder, and you hear much wing flapping above you. As you look up, you see all kinds of exotic-colored flying creatures dashing around in all directions between the tree canopies and lianas. A particularly large nest is perched on the cliffside just above you.

Perception checks and Init rolls please.

[stack]

perception [roll0]
initiative [roll1]


Those birds are too loud. What has disturbed them, I wonder?

[Nixed]

Perception: [roll0]
Init: [roll1]

[Major]

Perception: [roll0]
Initiative: [roll1]

[Flykiller]

Everyone's suddenly so perceptive :smallbiggrin:

You hear a powerful ‘swoosh’ above and slightly behind, and as you turn your heads, you realize what has stirred the birds up. A flying creature, resembling a human-sized winged cayman crocodile, dives onto your heads from above, targeting Grachius. It attacks with the vicious fangs on the front of its maw, which glisten with a yellowish liquid.

Those who roll over 15 on perception check (everyone so far) notice it as it is about to dive and gain a surprise round. The monster starts 60ft. away from you (think 40' up and 40' to the side of the party). The trail on which you stand is about 10'wide and everything around is considered a difficult terrain. I'll draw a map if you request it.

[stack]

Grachius draws his bow with practiced fingers, drawing a breath simultaneously. He aims carefully, waiting for it to close, string against cheek. He tracks the moving target, then looses his shaft.

readying an action to loose an arrow when it is at 30', which qualifies fir point blank shot
attack [roll0]
damage [roll1]

knowledge nature to identify it [roll2]

[Nixed]

Loads his crossbow as he studies the creature descending upon them.


Nature check to attempt and figure out what it is: [roll0]

[Major]

Kel calmly draws his bow as his eyes scan the creature and compare it to the mental database he had accumulated over his time as an inquisitor. With no hesitation, Kel lined up the shot and pulled the trigger of his crossbow.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]
Knowledge: Nature [roll2]

Clearly I'm distracted :P

[DungeonMonkey]

Perception: [roll0]
Initiative: [roll1]

[Flykiller]

Grachius and Kel have never seen such a creature before, even in books. It must be quite rare and exotic.

Iain:
You recognize the creature as a ‘Fangbird’, or a ‘Vampire lizard’. You have once seen one of its kind as a trained pet in a travelling circus. The creature has traits of both a bird and a lizard and looks rather primitive. Its large fangs are used to grip prey and inject poison, and the rest of the small, sharp teeth cut through the flesh. They normally feed on fish, small reptiles, and birds, but when particularly hungry, flocks of these creatures have been known to gang up on larger prey, swooping in to bite and then retreating to watch from nearby cliff ledges or tree branches while the victim slowly succumbs to the poison. Once the creature is rendered helpless, the flock descends to eat its victim alive. Fortunately, this one appears to be alone, but it's unusually aggressive. You realize that it must be protecting its young in the nest.

Grachius and Kel release their projectiles at a creature as it does a wingover and swoops down on Grachius, but it dodges both in the air. However the attacks have shifted its aim and it is forced to land hard next to Grachius. It flaps its wings madly as it tries to take off again.

Round 1 Init order:
Grachius 20 <--
Monster 19 (done)
Liam 15
Kel 11
Iain 6
Cateline ???

[DungeonMonkey]

I tried to post my action for last round's surprise round after I posted my rolls, but GITP went down while I was writing it, so I went to bed. Ah, well, ya snooze ya lose! I'm sure things will turn out just fine.

Liam, feeling like he should be terrified (but somehow not) gazed at the new foe. Then there was a flash of light, and a beautiful bird with golden and silver feathers appeared next to the strange monster, attacking with claws and beak. Liam pulled his crossbow off his belt and stood at the ready.

EDIT: Wait, what? If the monster just acted, but it's Grachius' first turn now, did the monster really act yet? And if so, when did/does/was/should-have-been/is (my action) happened/ing?

[Flykiller]

When I did the rolls for the monster and it was a miss, I decided it won't break continuity if I post for him slightly in advance, as he is high on initiative count. Also, re-reading Grachius's action, it was delayed till the monster closes in. So in fact, the Initiative count was on Liam. If you feel like it, you can adjust your actions to fit into 1.5 rounds before the monster's next turn.

Round 1 Init order:
Grachius 20
Monster 19
Liam 15 <--
Kel 11
Iain 6
Cateline ???

[Nixed]

"These things aren't usually that aggressive, we must be near a nest. Be careful." Firing off the previously loaded bolt before adding in a new on.


(I think we're inside 30' at this point, if not -1 to each of these)
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

crit if necessary

Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[Major]

"I hate ranged combat..." Kel mumbled as he put away his crossbow and drew his sword as he waited for the creatures to get close.

[Flykiller]

Liam's summoned bird attacks the monster, but it seems quite proficient in fighting birds and evades any damage.
Iain's bolt pierces the creature's body and is stuck deep in it. It shrieks in pain, showcasing its large fangs again, but remains on its feet.
Grachius's action for Round 2 please. He's adjacent to the monster with the bow in hands as the round starts.

[stack]

Grachius takes a step back, dropping his prized bow. He reaches to his side and draws his morning star as he again grows, the now-massive spiked head sweeping toward the creature.

5'-step away to avoid AOO
move to draw weapon
swift action using the growth power to enlarge person for 1 round, granting reach, +2 str, -2 dex, -1 att/ac
attack ]1d20+2 (-1 large, +1 str bonus, 2 base)
ed- from OOC 20


damage [roll0]

[Flykiller]

Grachius:
This power of yours sure is a combat-ender!

As Grachius steps away, the wounded creature immediately gets up in the air to try and catch the summoned bird, but instead of a bird its head meets with Grachius's enlarged morningstar. Crushed, it lifelessly falls to the ground again.

If you planned to do something before continuing the journey, please post the actions and we'll consider it done. For now I assume the party continues towards the ship.

Several minutes pass before the jungle ends and you find yourselves on top of a roughly 500-ft. long naked cliff overlook which ends above the shipwreck. Not much is left of a once-fine ship. A portion of the captain's cabin on the upper deck, and the mid-deck, where the larder, the supply room, and the brig and galley used to be, are all that remains. Much of the lower deck is missing. You hear something making repeated bumping noises on the middle deck.

The clifff ends roughly 10 feet above the upper deck, so no tools are necessary to descend one by one. The deck is shaken by the waves and tilted at an awkward angle, so it's treated as difficult terrain.

The only lifeboat the Jenivere used to have seems to be missing.

[stack]

Grachius peers over the edge. He turns a bit green at the thought of going back aboard the ship, especially in its present condition, but it needed to be done. "I can go, unless someone lighter volunteers. One man down, the rest on the rope. If anything heavy is worth salvaging we can send the other end of the rope to tie it off and haul it up. There's enough of us to manage, I reckon." Bah, I'm not the one to be leading these people. But if not I, then who? Bah, I never was good with people. Some priest.

[Nixed]

"I am willing to go too, but seeing how we've already been attacked by creatures twice, maybe having people who can cover the deck from afar stay back might be a good idea." Looking around for a moment he selects a decent sized rock or branch to lob onto the deck of the ship, just to see if the noise draws anythings interest.

[stack]

Grachius keeps his bow ready. "A wise thought. If someone else is willing to go, I can cover them easily from here."

[Major]

"I'm rather skilled with a blade which will be useful in the close confines of the ship, but at the same time my armor might make me a bit heavier." Kel said nodding at his chainshirt under the dark cloak he was wearing.

[stack]

"There are enough of us on this end, the weight should not be an issue."

[Major]

"Very well then, anybody think they are a better choice to provide defense down on the boat?" The Inquisitor asked.

[Nixed]

Looks down at his own chain shirt than back to Kel. "Same here without the benefit of the swordsmanship." Looking back at the others. "I'm willing to go down as well, if we find anything it'd be helpful to get it out of there as quickly as possible."