Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (IC): Thread 2

[Swami Monsoon]

"I think getting a full night's rest would be a good idea. Who knows how long it will be before we can do that again? And maybe the newcomers can get a more detailed briefing on this whole expedition..."

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor looks around. The area is deserted, or at least looks like it and thus this is as good a place as anyone to have a little chat.

"Well, don't expect a life's story from me, I don't know you enough for that. Suffice to say that I pray to Olidamarra because I owe him my life. So I repay the favour by spreading the word around. Couple weeks ago I have a dream of me travelling east to do... stuff. So I come along a few people examining an old ruin and clashing with some cultists."

"Once the dust settles they tell me an unlikely story about some ancient cult of evil that had or maybe even has a stronghold somewhere here in the general area and needs rooting out. So hey, seems I found some stuff to do. So here I am. And if we find the cultists, well, we either convince them to abandon their path of evil or send them off to the afterworld. That's the plan in a nutshell."

[Toliudar]

Meggido

The dour elf shrugs at Tom's implied question.

"Imagine what the world would be like if demons, devils, elemental horrors, slaads - if they weren't popping up to spread chaos and destruction. I want our world to have an opportunity to shape its own destiny."

Meggido betrays no hint of indecision or trepidation in laying out this goal. This suggests that he is either unaware of how difficult that goal is, or has an ego the size of an iron golem.

[Quakes]

It may be a tall order, but I aim to prevent organized attempts to bring darkness into the world. And this may be the biggest of our time. There will always be more work to do to prevent the natural order from being subverted.

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

"Well Tom, does this answer your questions?"

[Swami Monsoon]

"So these are more than ordinary bandits or fanatics.. They're not out just to break heads but to break the world? If you put it like that, then sitting this out won't be an option. It wouldn't matter where you are if tentacles start poking out of a hole in the sky or whatever..."

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor shrugs, takes a deep breath and says "I don't know about the end of the world. Fact is, this place of ours is made up of a lot of stuff. Fire, water, air, earth. Energy, both positive and negative."

"And it also takes all kinds: The good, the bad, the lawful ones and the chaotics. Take any away and this world wouldn't be what it is. Balance in all things and all that."

"Problem is: Evil wants to break things. It's Evil, that it what it does. Could blame a water elemental for being wet. Same difference. But that means the the good folks and everybody else who likes living for that matter, has to always stand up and stem the tide. Can't throw evil out all the way, that won't work, but you have to keep it down. So here we are."

Grigor looks at the path ahead of them and says "We don't even know how far it is. Let us get a night of sleep and I'll ask Olidamarra for a few tricks to help deal with those cultists. If we can sneak in, good. If not, well, we just have to fight for our lives then."

[herrhauptmann]

Halgrim,

"I ain't gonna debate over good'n'evil, that's for smarter men. But tha biggest thin ta remember is that in both of tha previous fights, tha temple found people ta betray their side for this reason or that one. That's how they did so well, and how they're going it right now. Look at Mr Jaroo back in Hommlet."

He sighs. "If everyone else wants ta wait before going up the mountain, I won't argue no more."

[Toliudar]

Meggido

The elf nods, and glances around as they re-enter Rastor.

"Excellent. Till morning, then, we should speak no more of this."

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Mt. Stalagos: Planting 26, Morning

The sound of merrymaking leaks from the tavern below the group’s room through the night. Though it is not bothersome to those who can tune it out. Those who can’t however, miss out on a few hours sleep.

The morning is exceptionally bright and sunny. And warm. Warm enough to make up for the weeks of unusually cold temperatures. Of course, combined with the humidity lingering from yesterday’s rain, the warmth doesn’t offer much improvement in comfort. Especially for an expedition up the side of the mountain.

As discovered yesterday, the path up the mountain quickly becomes overgrown. Only traces of wheel ruts from the carts and wagons that used to travel to the mine and back can be truly said to mark the path. Everything else is weeds, mud, and the occasional bit of gravel.

The mountainside is steep, and so the path meanders along the route of least resistance. There are many switchbacks and diversions around ditches and gullies. But there is still the occasional steep incline to climb. All in all, it is a very tough climb, leaving one to wonder how much of the moisture in his clothes and armor is sweat or how much is just from the sticky air.

After traveling for about an hour, the group approaches another switchback. Then Halgrim is the first to notice it.

A strange humming noise.

Soon the others notice it, too. It seems to be coming from behind them. Turning around, they look around and then they see the source.

Somehow suspended in the air by fragile-looking wings with bodies at least ten feet long. A frightening yellow color warns all that these are creatures not to be trifled with. Not that it should be necessary given the powerful jaws at one end and the vicious barb at the other.

Coming down the path are three unbelievably gigantic wasps.


((
Initiative

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1. Halgrim (18)
2. Tom (16⁺)
3. Moonshadow (16)
4. Megiddo (14⁺)
5. Grigor (14)
6. Wasps (6)

Halgrim’s Up
))
(( Map 4 ))

[Toliudar]

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Meggido Initiative: (1d20+3)[10]

[herrhauptmann]

Halgrim,

" 'Ey now, you fellers see the size of them daubers?" He exclaims in surprise. "I don think I wanna fight sometin like that." Eying the wasps as they approach, he unslings his mace and moves into the brush for some cover in the event of a fight.

Map 8

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If need an AOO:
attack: [roll]1d20+9[/roll]
Damage: [roll]2d6+5[/roll] B+P. [roll]1d6[/roll] Acid

*** Crit confirm on 20 (x3 damage)
[roll]1d20+9[/roll]
[roll]2d6+5[/roll] B+P
[roll]2d6+5[/roll] B+P

[Quakes]

Moonshadow assesses the threat from the vermin approaching. He would prefer to deal with them non-violently, but his rapport with animals doesn't extend to things without at least some sort of intelligence. As such, he begins weaving a spell to call on the aid of nature.

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sac level 2 spell for summon nature's ally
summon a small air elemental next round.

[Toliudar]

Meggido

Massive wasps. Not very elemental, were they. Theologically - aesthetically, as it were - these seemed unlikely to be connected to the Temple. Likely to be simply another random hostile force of an uncaring universe, destined to be crushed simply for interposing itself against his will.

Still and all, he'd better help kill them. Those stingers looked nasty.

Crouching slightly, the elf slipped into readiness to unleash hell. Not literally, of course. That would be completely antithetical to everything he was working towards. More a figurative, 'my goodness, that was a bit of nastiness' hell.

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If I'm reading the map correctly, I think I can hit all three of the wasps with a 20' radius burst from Amethyst Burst, at 30' height, centred at 21, 22. If that's the case, and if none of his colleagues have taken out one of the wasps already, he'll augment to 7 points to deal (4d6)[17] force damage to each, Reflex DC 20 for half.

If one of the wasps is already incapacitated, or he can't reach all three with Amethyst Burst, Meggido will instead cast Glitterdust on the least injured wasp. Will DC 18 or blind.

In either case, Meggido will then take a move action to move behind a tree to help keep the wasps at bay.

NEW MAP 9.

[Swami Monsoon]

That's not something you see very day...

As the giant wasps approach, Tom loads his crossbow and focuses for a moment on being extra evasive...

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Manifest Precognition, Defensive

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric, AC 19, HP 50/50

Grigor curses under his breath as he moves in front of Moonshadow and Tom, pulling out his bow as he does so.

"Stay behind me, those buggers are sure to have a nasty sting!" he exclaims and notches an arrow. After taking aim for a moment, he releases the arrow, hoping to get the first sting in.

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Shoot: [roll]1d20+5[/roll], dmg. [roll]1d6+2[/roll]

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Mt. Stalagos: Planting 26, Morning

Round 1

Grigor’s shot is true. The arrow lodges right along the wasp’s neck.

(( Amethyst burst is a close range power. That’s 40 ft. at level 7. You can’t reach the wasps without getting a lot closer. So glitterdust it is. ))

Meddigo casts a spell and another wasp is surrounded with glimmering motes of light. The wasp suddenly seems to lose its way and starts flying erratically.

The injured wasp makes a beeline straight to Grigor and attempts to impale the cleric on its stinger. Fortunately, the wasp is unable to find a weak spot in Grigor’s armor.

The remaining wasp flies Grigor and begins closing in on Tom and Moonshadow.

(( Map 10 ))

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor smiles with grim satisfaction as his arrow strikes true. And his smile stays as the angry giant insect fails to penetrate his armour. So he drops his bow and swiftly draws his bastard sword from it's scabbard and intones

"And such is the will of the gods, help yourself so they may help you! Have at thee!" as he swings his blade with both hands, confident to slay his foe before it can retaliate.

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Attack (1d20+8)[14] (-1 because of buckler), damage (1d10+6)[15]

[Toliudar]

Meggido

The elf was relieved to see the gold-covered wasp now circling at a distance. Time enough to deal with that later. Peering around the trunk of the tree, Meggido takes in the two wasps now swarming towards them, and Grigor now very much acting the paladin he pretended to be.

He fired two blasts of flame at the more distant of the two wasps, hoping to help bring it down before it even reached them. Almost as an afterthought, he pulled out his sword, holding it up between him and the wasps, in the unlikely event that it would do any good at all should they move in on him.

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Standard action: Scorching ray, with both bolts aimed at Wasp 2:

Touch attack: (1d20+5)[15] Fire damage: (4d6)[17]
Touch attack: (1d20+5)[18] Fire damage: (4d6)[11]

Move action: draw longsword.

[Quakes]

With a small pop, a floating being of air coalesces behind the wasp that had flown into his face. At the same time, Moonshadow steps up to it and thrusts with a spear that is dripping frost.

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Attack - Icy Shortspear
(1d20+8)[23] +2 flanking
damage
(2d6+1)[1][6](8)

Small Air Elemental: AC 17, HP 13
Slam
(1d20+7)[21] +2 flanking
damage
(1d4+2)[3] +2 augment summoning

[Swami Monsoon]

Tom concentrates for a moment and then makes a throwing motion at the second wasp. A blob of faintly glowing ectoplasm arcs toward it...

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Entangling Ectoplasm (1 PP, 3 if target is Large)
Ranged touch attack (entangled for 5 rounds on hit)
(1d20+10)[29]

EDIT: I didn't see all the damage numbers in the OOC thread.
If wasp Number 2 is already dead, then I guess that attack goes to Number 1 instead.

[herrhauptmann]

Halgrim,

Without a word he launches himself from the cover of the foliage in a mighty leap at a wasp.

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Leap Attack/Charge: (AC drops to 17 until next turn. Power attack for 2)
Jump: (1d20+13)[30]

attack: (1d20+9)[24]
Damage: (2d6+11)[18] B+P. (1d6)[4] Acid

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+5 damage normally.
PA with two handed weapon is x2 PA.
With leap attack it's x3 I think. So +6

*** Crit confirm on 20 (x3 damage)
(1d20+9)[14]
(2d6+11)[19] B+P
(2d6+11)[18] B+P

Map 12

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Mt. Stalagos: Planting 26, Morning

Round 2

With a flying leap, Halgrim smashes his mace into the wasp’s head and with a sickening crunch, the exoskeleton cracks. However the wasp manages to just barely remain in action.

Tom successfully covers Halgrim’s victim in psionic goo. (( Wasp is Large, so 3pp ))

Moonshadow successfully spears the wasp attacking Grigor in its abdomen. Meanwhile, the elemental he summoned starts pounding on the wasp’s thorax near the wing joint.

Grigor neatly slices into his wasp’s face and the beast drops to the ground, reflexively jerking all the while.

Megiddo’s flaming rays strike the other wasp. In a burst of flame, the beast falls to the ground.

The blinded Wasp meanwhile continues flying up the mountain. However, it does not adjust its height to match the slope. It is quite likely to crash into a tree at this rate.

(( Map #13 ))

[herrhauptmann]

Halgrim,

"Why won't you just die?" He shouts in frustration, raising his mace for another hit.

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attack: (1d20+9)[10]
Damage: (2d6+5)[13] B+P. (1d6)[5] Acid

*** Crit confirm on 20 (x3 damage)
(1d20+9)[17]
(2d6+5)[13] B+P
(2d6+5)[13] B+P

If the hit is enough to kill it, he'll move to the position shown in map14. Only takes 25 ft of movement due to boots of mountain king ignoring increased movement costs for rubble.

[Quakes]

Moonshadow calmly puts his spear to the dying wasp's head and ends the things life.

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coup de grace

I suggest we leave the last to it's own devices. It should prove no more threat to us. Maybe it will leave its stinger in one of our enemies instead, though that is probably too much to hope for.

[Toliudar]

Meggido

The elf chooses to remain behind a tree, but gestures with his sword toward the blinded wasp.

"I apologize for being so contrarian in this, but I would strongly recommend filling that wasp with arrows post-haste. It will only be blind for a few more seconds, and it's unlikely that we will be sufficiently distant at that time."

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

"Sound like a plan." says Grigor as he re-sheathes his sword and picks up his bow again, flicking some wayward strands of grass off of it.

[Swami Monsoon]

Tom raises his crossbow and fires at the last wasp...

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Attack (1d20+11)[21]
Damage (1d8+1)[4]

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Mt. Stalagos: Planting 26, Morning

Round 3

Halgrim and Moonshadow finish off the mortally wounded wasps.

Tom manages to aim through all the branches and brush in his way and uphill and still hit the wasp. The bolt lodges into the beast’s abdomen, just above the stinger.

The wasp turns around to try and get at the attacker it cannot see and starts flying back down the hill.

(( Map #15 ))

[Lycar]

Grigor, human cleric

Grigor notches an arrow, aims and sends it off into the general direction of the last giant wasp.

"Target practice on a moving target, fun. But yes, we better drive off or kill it before it decides to actually hurt us."

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Attack (1d20+4)[15], dmg. (1d6+2)[5]