The Savage Tide [IC]

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Desiria removes her foot from Tom's tail, and fixes him with a questioning look.
I had my foot planted pretty firmly on that book but it still got swept free. Does your tail have a mind of its own?

[Swami Monsoon]

In the heat of battle Tom hadn't even noticed anybody stepping on his tail. Now he takes it up in one hand, carefully examining it for cuts or bruises...

"Hmm... sometimes, when I'm real busy I, uh, lose track of it... Sorry about that. I wish I could have been more useful in this little scuffle, but none of my special tricks work so well when everyone's crowded together in a room the size of a broom closet and getting special hugs from their new creepy friends..."

He turns and exhales a jet of ice crystals and supercooled air into the hole, both to vent his frustration and to make sure nothing else was squirming around down there.

"That would have tickled a bit with all of you packed together like that..."

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Switch to Vigor Aura in case anyone's still under 50% health

[lostsole31]

The only ones wounded are Desiria (barely a bruise) and Mr. Kahir. Mr. Kahir's wounds are significant, but not enough for the aura to kick in (or be noticed, for that matter).

Desiria, Sadi

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Because you both noticed the protection when you were in the grip of the vines, you noticed that there were small licks of ice that would help slow the crushing. The power seemed to be emanating from Tom Underhill. With your knowledges of arcane lore and things draconic, it dawns on you that Tom is what is known in some places as a dragon shaman. In fact, you both particularly recognize that his totem must be a silver dragon. This also explains why out of battle, your senses and reflexes are enhanced.

Dragon shamans devote themselves to dragons and aspire to their power. In this case, Tom has devoted himself to silver dragons and seems to have gained some power of a silver dragon, including perception, hardiness, and the silver scales on his body that just might be more draconic rather than all tiefling. A silver dragon shaman can use a silver dragon's breath weapon, and very powerful shamans can grow wings and fly.

You both know that a dragon shaman can project an aura that can bolster himself and his allies in a number of ways. You've experienced two: senses and toughness. Dragon shamans can also heal damage and remove negative conditions somewhat like a paladin.

Dr. Cohen lays a whopping 26 healing CMW on Mr. Kahir. Then another one that finally heals him. It takes that much to heal Mr. Kahir.

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Mr. Kahir isn't super strong or fast. But he is one tough hombre; he can take a hit. If you didn't respect for anything other than his incredible navigational prowess, at least you should now have some respect for this.

[PSinger]

"Alright," says the captain, "we can get across two hundred yards safely, I think. But let's not dawdle here. If this was the work of just three vines, we need to redoubt at the ship immediately to examine the logbook. That way, if anything else leafy and nutritious comes our way, we won't find ourselves on the wrong of the table with our numbers split and the passengers at risk."

The captain leads them to the Sea Wyvern.

[Swami Monsoon]

"It seems we have three big problems. We still don't know where this thing's brain is. Next, it doesn't just make little baby plant monsters, but it actually infects normal creatures... How do we keep from getting turned into plant zombies? And if we can't find the brain quickly and can't stay around without getting sick... is there any way to evacuate? I guess if worst comes to worst, we could drag the boats to the edge..."

Tom shudders and leaves the rest of that thought unspoken. He was not ready to be stranded at sea again...

[PSinger]

Captain Darrius listens to Tom's analysis and then answers.

"No, we don't know where the mother is and we now have the added problem of infection of friends. But we have to try to find it .... her ... whatever. In time, I am sure we will simply be overborne if we do nothing. As far as infection into plant creatures, I personally don't think it matters. The idea is horrible, but getting killed out there or waiting here is still dead. The main problem is what happens to our own and do we have to fight each other.

"As far as dragging boats to the edge, there are two problems with that. First, we have the two rigs that will hold everyone, but the boats weren't designed for long-range portage. I'm inclined to believe that we will simply mire them in the semi-solid sargasso. Worse, the way the sargasso regenerates combined with its malevolence, my belief is that it won't matter. I believe the seaweed will simply form forward enough of us that it will be like chasing a mirage in a desert .... we'll see the end, but never get there.

"Some of us had quite an ordeal on the Rage and used a lot of energy or let ourselves become exhausted. But we still have the majority of day in front of us. We hunt, or we die. Now.

"Lirith, you'll stay onboard with Tavey. Keep the passengers topside throughout the day, regardless - Lord Meravanchi included. If plant versions of us, or any others, come to the ship .... well, you know what you have to do. Better that than anyone takes such a horrible death. The best way is to use the hand keg of gunpowder that One-Eyed left in the hold before he was killed."

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Do we have any idea of which way we have to head in order to find this heart. I agree that its likely the only way to escape, killing the heart, but the problem is that we have no idea of which way to head. Do you think it would be possible to annoy the plant enough to bring it to us?

[PSinger]

"We don't know, so we search. We might try to annoy it 'on the way,' but we aren't going to give up daylight waiting just to see. Besides, I don't want you to waste spells trying to annoy it. No, we'll do a search, and put our primary search 'noses' in Mr. Kahir, a ranger, and Skald, a ranger-druid."

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

If you are willing to wait a day for me to relearn spells, I might be able to cut down our search options. I can prepare three augury spells, and then in turn ask if we should head north, then east, then west. If we don't get a yes answer in the first three, we head the last way.

[lostsole31]

"The captain was able to hold out just that long," says Dr. Cohen to the captain. "It may be better to rest up, gather what intel we can, and then strike out. I'm with Sister Desiria."

[PSinger]

"Aye, fair enough," says Darrius. "But double watches and keep the passengers all below, then. Get what rest you can today, for we may be in for a rough night."

[lostsole31]

An excellent planner, Mr. Kahir attempts to compromise with the captain on personnel and agrees with Sister Desiria.

"True, that first battle left us drained in some ways. But now we have a sense of what we may be up against. I agree in getting rest this first night, but the sargasso is big enough that it very well might take more than just one night. If that is the case, we might be putting the ship at undue risk. We'll be travelling further inward and are likely to face more, but we should have more on the ship to give a fighting chance.

"I think if we can expect more of the same brute force attacks, I can best be your second on the ship with you 'on the ground' as it were. Dr. Cohen would be the main healer, Sister Desiria your main arcane fire power, Underhill would be your force support, and Sadi and Hifestus your muscle. Because he can pray to the gods of sea and storms, and might get prayers better suited for fighting plants, Skald would also go with you.

"I would be in command of the ship, Ms. Venkalie my second in command and morale booster, Lirith would be emergency rigging, and she would also be muscle alongside Agnipati, and Shouting Tree and his panther. Since we are 'last line' anyway, beyond Ms. Venkalie's meager healing, it really comes down to brute force overcoming an attack on the ship.

"What do you think?"

[PSinger]

"Good suggestion," says Darrius. "Let's do it."

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Ready to push forward...

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Desiria, already in her studies and prayers for her new spells, offers no opinion on the crew choices, but from what you know of her, she would probably defer on these sorts of tactical decisions.

[Swami Monsoon]

"I'm ready... I'll be sure to bring my pruning shears this time..."

[lostsole31]

Watches are readied and set. The passengers are locked down ... no skylarking this evening. The PCs ready their minds and bodies to sleep for the next day, or battle this night.

It becomes apparent that the latter will be on the menu. The alarm bell rings, and Skald's voice is heard from topside, "Plant men coming from the east!"

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Maybe we wont even have to go looking for them, they'll all come to us

Desiria immediately responds to the call to arms, coming up on deck to defend the ship. Since her opponents are still closing on them, she takes the time to cast a mage armour on herself.
If she can fire off a second spell before they close range, she will use a scorching ray on them.

[PSinger]

Darrius comes out of his stateroom: "All crew to combat positions!"

He then looks to the danger and then around the ship, calling out: "They may be about us, lads. Keep a weather eye on more than just this flank!"

With that, the torc about his neck and his dragon-scaled pauldron grow brighter even as his bracers go pale.

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Stance: Island of Blades. (Duh, my only, but just reminding you it's there.)

Max (3) in dissolving spittle and dragon mantle; sailor's bracers to 0.

[Swami Monsoon]

If the Mohammed won't go to the mountain, then the mountain will come to... wait, I think they have this backwards...

Tom scowls at the approaching plant creatures. He concentrates for a moment as he readies his crossbow. A faint chill surrounds the bolt resting in the bow...

Spoiler

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Cast Magic Weapon on crossbow
Senses aura active, will change to Toughness after combat starts

[lostsole31]

As everyone makes their way to their battle stations and looks about, a fog rolls in that reduces visibility to 30 feet maximum with concealment up to that point. Slowly, though, vaguely humanoid plant monsters, fatted on the bodies of the sargasso's victims, come lumbering a little bit into view. They are spread apart with roughly 10' between each of them, and are just at 30 feet.

Round One ...

R1T24: Agnipati (in her eel-like, night creeper form) stands at the gunwale and throws two spears at the one in line with the bow. The first spear bounces off of its thick plant hide, but the miss on the first guides the second in true for 11 damage.

R1T23: The spooky phenomenan that sailor's call "St. Elmo's Fire" wisps over the entire form of the midship and aft vine horrors, as well as the sargasso all around them. They are now easy to see even in the fog.

R1T22: Hifestus is taken aback by the baleful omen, but sees its benefit as well. He tosses a chakram at the creature towards the aft, hitting for 5 damage.

R1T19: Fleggins begins to sing a rousing pirate fighting song, filling everyone's heart with great strength, getting his bardiche faced towards the enemy in preparation for battle.

R1T18: Amella shoots the midships enemy with her crossbow for 7 damage. She reloads.

R1T17.9: A momentary shift of the air - signaling Mr. Kahir's force screen - occurs in front of the XO, even as he brings forth two smaller mindblades in preparations to throw them.

R1T16: Darrius, each of the vine horrors is 10' from each other, and one each is in line with bow, midships, and stern. You heard Skald cast the spell from the crow's nest. The spell is the classic but little seen faerie fire, but its effects are exactly like the strange lights named. What do you do?

[PSinger]

Having come out of his stateroom more aft, Darrius returns there after that initial survey. He presses his neck back, swilling up and then jolting his neck forward with a hissing sound towards that enemy.

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Dissolving spittle: (1d20+6)[15], damage (4d6)[9] acid
Forgot the +2 attack/ damage since it is considered a weapon attack.

[lostsole31]

R1T16: Having come out of his stateroom athwartships, Darrius returns there after that initial survey. He presses his neck back, swilling up and then jolting his neck forward with a hissing sound towards that enemy. It isn't a great hit, but it still does 9 acid damage.

R1T15: Each of the vine horrors, hiss something. At each part of of the ship that they are near, some of the thick matting of the sargasso begins to thicken and contort and twist into large vines similar to the tough things the heroes fought on the doomed ship 200 yards away.

The thick vines creep up the sides of the ship to the gunwale. It whips at an angle to hit Agnipati, but misses.

The middle vine smacks Ms. Venkalie for a whopping 15 damage and she is ensnared by the monstrous plant.

The aft vine whallops Darrius for 11 damage and it likewise holds him fast.

R1T13: Tom, you've seen what just one of these things can do, and now there are three vines to contend with. What do you do?

[Swami Monsoon]

Oh, geeze, not this s#!t again...

Tom leans out over the rail and points at a spot near the "waterline" from where two of the vines emerged. A circle of weeds is frozen solid and the "roots" of the vines are suddenly encased in jagged shards of ice...

Spoiler

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Cast Frostfall between middle and aft vines. 5' radius, so it should hit both if they are at same interval as the creatures (or even catch one or two of those too if they are standing close enough) and miss the people on the deck.

Damage (2d6)[7]

[lostsole31]

R1T13: Oh, geeze, not this s#!t again...

Tom leans out over the rail and points at a spot near the "waterline" from where two of the vines emerged. As he casts his spell, the bow-based vine whips at him and slams him, but Tom's chain shirt keeps him from harm. A circle of weeds is frozen solid and the "roots" of the vines are suddenly encased in jagged shards of ice. However, it is soon apparent that the spell did nothing as the twisting of the vines break off the ice and no marks are left behind.

R1T12: Dr. Cohen shoots at the after vine horror with his crossbow, hitting it for 5 damage. He reloads.

R1T11: Though she had her bow out to attack, these strange vine creatures surprise Lirith. She drops her bow, moves to Amella while drawing her falchion, and cuts into the vine for 10 damage.

R1T8: Shouting Tree shoots his bow at the after vine-man as well for 7 damage.

R1T5: Desiria, what do you do?

Agnipati on deck, Skald in the hole ...

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

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Im assuming I have my mage armour in place since I indicated I was casting it while heading up top

Desiria takes aim at the vine horror that is menacing Dr. Cohen and fires her magic missile at it.

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(3d4+3)[9]

[lostsole31]

R1T5: Desiria takes aim at the vine horror that is menacing Dr. Cohen and fires her magic missile at it. (Not, of course, that any aim is needed.) Three bolts of arcane go streaking down to the aft-facing vine horror, hitting it center of mass for 9 force damage.

End Round One, Begin Round Two ...

R2T24: Agnipati throws two more spears at the bow-facing vine horror, ignoring the strange vines (assassin vines, though she doesn't know its capabilities). Both spears would have hit were it not for the fog.

R2T23: Skald, on the other hand, hits true with two arrows at the same vine horror for 15 damage total.

R2T22: Smithson moves up to attack the assassin vine grasping Ms. Venkalie. His two hammers hit for a total of 15 damage. The licks of flame, however, seem to do nothing to the vines.

R2T19: Fleggins hacks at the assassin vine grasping the captain while continuing to sing his shanty, hacking the vine for 13 damage.

R2T18: Ms. Venkalie goes limp in the grasp of the vine, overcome by the crushing vine.

R2T17.9 Mr. Kahir now has two short mindblades in hand as he attacks Ms. Venkalie's vine. The first one hits for 7 damage, but the second bounces off of the vine's thick outer hide.

R2T16: Darrius tries to spit at the vine holding him, but the thrashing causes him to miss. The acid hits the hull to cause damage.

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Paul asked me to take his turn for him. He is busy and doesn't want to hold anything up right now.

R2T15-13.9: The bow vine horror animates an assassin vine that lifts it up onto the bow next to Agnipati while its already animate vine misses her.

The midships vine horror does likewise, waving off its assassin vine to drop Ms. Venkalie to the ground. The assassin vine then attacks Lirith, who blocks it with her falchion.

The aft vine constricts Darrius for 8 damage, and that vine horror also lifts itself to the deck with a second-animated assassin vine.

Meanwhile, the fog continues to creep onto the deck to obscure vision.

Meanwhile, the hissing sound coming from the vine horrors. A close listen will reveal they are saying, "Outsidersss...!"

R2T13: Tom, you are adjacent to the midships vine horror and two assassin vines. The vine horror is limned in faerie fire, but the two assassin vines are not. One of the vines is hacked into pretty well, as is the vine horror.

[Swami Monsoon]

Tom swears out loud when he realizes that the vines are immune to his cold magic. He raises his crossbow and aims at the closest plant man. Better to stop the hunter than the hounds.

If you don't like outsiders then stop running down people's ships with your great big weed barge, you dumb f&#ks...

Spoiler

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Attack center vine horror (1d20+8)[24]
Damage (1d8+1)[5]

[lostsole31]

R2T13: Tom swears out loud when he realizes that the vines are immune to his cold magic.

"If you don't like outsiders then stop running down people's ships with your great big weed barge, you dumb f&#ks..." he murmurs to himself.

He raises his crossbow and aims at the closest plant man. Better to stop the hunter than the hounds. As he readies the shot, all three of the new vines attack him, as well as the first forward one. The forward one slams hard as the others are deflected or blocked by the shield, but as hard as that one hits, it still isn't enough to hurt tough ol' Tom. He shoots at the middle vine horror, striking him for 7 damage.

R2T12: The rabbi drops his crossbow, flies over to the vine horror while drawing Gili-Nachum, and hits the thing two-handed for 8 damage. It seems that in his absence, the doctor has become inexplicably stronger, managing a more powerful blow that really takes advantage of two arms in the strike.

R2T11: Lirith still attacks the assassin vine holding her officer but doesn't hack into the hide.

R2T8: Instead of his spear, Shouting Tree drops his bow and takes out his jaguar-skull mace, but misses the vine horror he fights with Rabbi Cohen.

R2T5: Desiria, there are now a whole lot of swishing assassin vines in reach, but their attacks against Tom's spellcasting might have given you an opening to move to the far port side of the ship to keep out of reach. What do you do?

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Desiria moves to get a bit more cover, but still fires off another magic missile at Dr. Cohen's opponent.

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(3d4+3)[8]

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EDIT: 3d4=5? I love the stupid roller.

[lostsole31]

R2T5: Desiria moves to get a bit more cover, but still fires off another magic missile volley at Dr. Cohen's opponent. Though it is a meager hit (8 force damage), the overall brute force punishment this thing has received is now obviously taking its toll.

End Round 2, Begin Round 3 ...

R3T24: Agnipati gets out her prized spear and attacks the first vine at the bow, stabbing it for 13 damage.

R3T23: Skald fires two arrows that would've hit; now it's his turn for the the fog throws off his aim. It seems his curse has affected himself and Agnipati.

R3T22: Smithson continues to pummel the vine that held Ms. Venkalie by pounding it for a combined 18 damage. The vine flops on the deck, only held onboard by the gunwale and rigging.

R3T19: Fleggins continues to sing and hack at the first after vine holding his captain, weed-whacking it for 18 damage, though it stubbornly remains.

R3T19: With the vines and the nearby vine horror distracted, Amella gets up and bolts to the port side of the ship with Pickwing coming into hand.

"Let's let the menfolk do the dirty work, huh?" she says to Desiria with her multiple contusions.

R3T17.9: "Frost ... fire ... how about shock?" says Mr. Kahir.

He releases both mindblades, only to create two new ones just as quickly. These, however, seem to have arcs of electricity coruscating along its edge. He attacks the midships vine horror. He double-thrusts to its chest for a blasting 39 damage between damage and electricity!!! It still stands, but its world was just rocked, and the plant body sags despite being animate.

"Electricity it is, then," he says matter-of-factly.

R3T16: Darrius, you are receiving a lot of support from a doctor, a priestess, and a cook (walk into a bar ... sounds like the beginning of a bad joke). You are still constricted, but this thing might go with another hack by Fleggins. There is the new vine however, not to mention the vine horror that controls it. But you have your own problems right now in this thing's grip. What do you do?