The Savage Tide [IC]

[PSinger]

R3T16: Darrius tries to pierce his grappler with Night Eater.

Spoiler

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Attack: (1d20+11)[19], Damage (1d6+7)[13]

[lostsole31]

R3T16: Darrius digs into his grappler with Night Eater for 13 damage.

R3T14: The bow vine horror and its two vines fail to hurt Agnipati with wild swings and her careful scoop-aways with her spear.

The midship vine horror almost slams Ka'Xet with one attack and misses with the other; the first stopped by magic armor, the second deflected by psionic force. It hisses and that one's vine tries to scoop up the soulblade by the feet, but he is too aware and jumps up as it sweeps under.

Darrius' prodigious strength is admirable, but not legendary, and he can't hold off his constrictor as he takes another 15 damage. The captain groans from exertion and growing pain as his lungs are slowly being crushed.

Wearing nothing but a hide shirt, the second assassin vine easily hits Dr. Cohen for 4 mod damage, holding him fast, and crushing for another 8 mod damage.

R3T13: Tom ... Agnipati, with cover fire from Skald, seems to easily be holding their own at the bow, even though offense isn't great.

The one at midships is about done with.

The aft vine horror has two vines, one apiece, on Dr. Cohen and the captain. Aft and midships are limned with faerie fire.

It seems that after their attack, the vine horrors and their vines got back into a ready position. Tangle (ha!) with this using a crossbow at PB range is a sure way to get yourself smacked, and even crushed.

What do you do?

Dr. Cohen on deck, Lirith in the hole, then Shouting Tree and Desiria.

[Swami Monsoon]

Tom does an odd little dance as he dodges the thrashing vines. One flailing tip boxes him hard on the ear... He snarls in pain and anger.

"F@#k this..."

He drops his crossbow and, not bothering to reach for another weapon, lunges at the plant man. Claws unsheathed, he tries to rip off what passes for its face...

Spoiler

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Attack x2
(1d20+6)[20]
(1d20+6)[8]
Damage
(1d4+3)[7]
[roll]1d4+3/roll]

[lostsole31]

R3T13: Tom does an odd little dance as he dodges the thrashing vines. One flailing tip boxes him hard on the ear... He snarls in pain and anger.

"F@#k this..."

He drops his crossbow and, not bothering to reach for another weapon, lunges at the plant man. Claws unsheathed, he tries to rip off what passes for its face. His first claw sinks satisfyingly into it for 10 damage. The monster falls and Tom follows up with another tear for 7 damage. The remaining middle vine fallls.

R3T12: "There we are, mensches!" calls the rabbi. "We knew it but it's verified. Drop the vine-men and the assassin vines will deanimate."

Despite being gripped by the vine, the doctor hits it with his warhammer for 8 damage.

R3T11: Not wanting to get smacked by the vine behind her, Lirith deftly jumps and weaves through lines, but the sinuous nature of the bow-vine still manages to move through the same to slam her forcefully for 11 damage and hold her fast and constricting for 13 damage. Her sudden predicament looks dire, and the controlling vine horror has barely been hit.

R3T8: With the rabbi's words, Shouting Tree turns to the vine-man and his jaguar-head mace doesn't hit it that hard, doing 9 (min) damage. Still, it is enough that it doesn't look like it will last long, which would free the captain and the rabbi when the vines drop.

R3T5: Desiria, here's the sich:

Bow - Agnipati in melee with vine horror, with Skald providing high fire. Vine #1 holds Lirith fast, the latter who is heavily wounded. This vine man was never affected by the faerie fire.

Midships - Clear.

Aft. Very wounded vine horror, and two vines holding the captain and the rabbi. Shouting Tree in melee with vine horror. This vine still has the party boon of the faerie fire.

What do you do?

[PSinger]

Darrius calls out, "Desiria, focus fire on the forward vine-man! Your missiles hit unerringly. We *cough, cough* pretty much have this one handled. Everyone not already aft head forward."

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Freeing up two people to help in a fight probably makes more sense to Desiria, but she has her orders...and they might not be able to get into the battle quickly enough anyway. She fires her missiles at the vine horror on Agnipati.

Spoiler

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(3d4+3)[9]

[lostsole31]

R3T5: Freeing up two people to help in a fight probably makes more sense to Desiria, but she has her orders...and they might not be able to get into the battle quickly enough anyway. She fires her missiles at the vine horror on Agnipati, scoring 9 force damage.

End Round 3, Begin Round 4 ...

R4T24: Agnipati's spear goes spinning like a buzz-saw. Though it is a thrusting weapon, her ability to handle it as a slashing weapon - in two-weapon fighting form no less - is as exotic as it is stunningly effective. None of her 3 strikes fail to hit because of the fog, and she does a total of 36 damage .... entirely splattering that vine man. Those two forward vines drop, and Lirith is freed.

R4T23: Skald shoots at the last vine horror. The first gets stuck in the creature's thick, leafy hide, but the other sinks in for 9 damage, enough to drop the monster and deanimate the last vines .... freeing the captain and the rabbi.

Combat over ...

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Desiria gathers all those who were wounded in the fight together (30' radius) and channels as much healing energy as is needed to restore all to full health

Spoiler

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Dont know how many rolls are needed, so here are several.
(3d6)[11] healing
(3d6)[13] healing
(3d6)[15] healing

[lostsole31]

It only takes two of Desiria's channelings to bring everyone, namely the captain and Lirith, back to peak condition.

Does anyone do anything post battle before crashing again in hopes of regaining strength (and spells/ use-per-day abilities)?

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Desiria hangs her holy symbol around her neck once she finishes with the channeling.

If there is nothing else, I would like to try and recover that strength I just expended.

[PSinger]

"No, please," says Darrius. "You've cast a lot of magic today, and you have to rest for much of yours.

"Except for watches, everyone make sure you sleep well. Sorry, not you Messrs. Kahir and Cohen. I need you to look at the one vine horror that wasn't shredded entirely and look it over; tell me if you can't figure anything out about it that we might use for later."

[Swami Monsoon]

Tom looks over the leafy remains, nudging one of the fallen plant men with his foot...

"So when we were getting bad touched by all those vines over on the other ship... one of these guys was watching and laughing? Well, this bunch is not laughing anymore..."

He heads below to catch some sleep... hopefully uninterrupted by any dreams about botany, gardening or anything else to do with plants...

[lostsole31]

In the morning, and after everyone has prepped, the intel on vines and horrors is given. The vine horrors are somewhat tough, but appear to have no special resistances other than a tough hide. With Ka'Xet using his soulblade for fire, frost, and shock, it appears that assassin vines are immune to cold, electricity, and fire. However, a small bit of acid is enough to easily sizzle through the assassin vine's hide. However, it is remembered that Desiria was able to hurt the assassin vine in the Rage, so they likely have a high tolerance for fire.

Desiria, do you tailor your prepared cleric spells for the new day in trying to find the Mother and killing it? or, do you use the same array?

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Desiria prepares all of her second level spells as Augury and uses them to determine the correct direction to move in to find the Mother(no, I wont say it)

[lostsole31]

The Mother-Killers head out, somewhat in a central direction. Desiria, what do you ask for the first augury, and how far out?

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

I suggest that we start moving in the direction that the vine horrors came from. Its as good a choice as any.
After about half an hour of walking, she stops for her first augury
If we continue moving in this direction, in another half an hour, will we be closer to the Mother?
If the answer is a negative, she will orient herself at cardinal points to the original direction (not back towards the ship), and repeat the casting.

[lostsole31]

How long to the second casting? The sargasso goes on for what seems like the horizon line.

Spoiler

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Paul, you need to update your melds for the day. I doubt you care about sailor's bracers.

[MikelaC1]

She will repeat every half hour, until she runs out of castings.

[PSinger]

Spoiler

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I'm thinking "aloud" as I type.

Well, sailing and swimming aren't that important. So I'll ditch sailor's bracers. The vines are immune to lightning so the lightning gauntlets go. Definitely keeping dissolving spittle. Worg pelt is useless if they can detect us anyway so I won't shape that. No Fort save stuff or energy, it seems straight up physical, so ditch dragon mantle.

There's enough melee brilliance going on, so with my dissolving spittle I'll take a ranged roll: sighting gloves. I'll bind it to give me precise shot. I'll keep acrobat boots because of the difficult terrain and we don't know what's coming. Keeneye lenses to detect trouble.

So, acrobatic boots (feet), dissolving spittle (throat), keeneye lenses (eyes), and sighting gloves (bound to hands). I'll max up the acrobat boots and sighting gloves now, and then max up essentia in the other two later.

Darrius' gorget remains, as do his special blue boots. But the scaly mantle and bracers he wore go away. A thin veil of energy coats his hands before melding into them, and a pair of lenses appear on his eyes.

[lostsole31]

The away team heads out. After the first half-hour, Desiria lights incense and meditates for a minute, ending with a holy incantation, divine speech, and then tossing of bones onto her cloak. Myhriss does not answer.

The group continues for another half-hour. Desiria, do you cast the spell again?

Spoiler

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If the spell gave you nothing because your connection to Myhriss is not strong enough (i.e., you failed your roll), then you know that casting again is pointless.

If the spell gave you nothing because the endpoint of your answer is outside of a half-hour window, casting again could yield you an answer.

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

The party is counting on her for an answer, otherwise this will just be pointless wandering that will end up getting them killed. Once again, she goes through her preparations and casts her spell, hoping for direction from Myhriss.

[lostsole31]

Once again, nothing.

Do you use your last stick of incense, assuming travel in the same direction, after another half-hour?

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

With no other choice offering itself, Desiria takes out her last supply of the spell and prepares to cast.

I dont know if I will get an answer from Myrhiss. It could be that our target is out of range of the spell. If thats the case, I am not going to be able offer any guidance, and we could be doomed to a lot of useless wandering

With that warning to the leader, Desiria casts her spell.

[lostsole31]

Nothing. Myhriss doesn't answer.

[PSinger]

"Dr. Cohen," says Darrius, "it's time for you to take a high fly and separate yourself from us to do long range recon. We'll continue walking this way to at least keep moving."

[MikelaC1]

DESIRIA

Desiria stands up from her casting.
We are either out of range of the target or I am having trouble contacting Myrhiss. Im sorry, but I cant offer the idea I had before.

[lostsole31]

The away slogged no more than two or miles by the time of Desiria's last augury. Dr. Cohen returns from recon some time later.

"I would say that this sargasso runs 12-15 miles or so east-to-west. About four miles from this point, and there would need to be some skirting around large inner lakes, there is the only other hulk than the Rage that isn't entirely 'eaten.' I was able to see the name Thunderer barely visible. A lot of wrecks in the sargasso that are merely eaten down to the keel. However, the vegetation around the Thunderer was different from the air, as if it were extremely overgrown above the 'waterline.'"

[PSinger]

"Thank you, doctor," says the captain. "I want each three of the most combat-capable to be with the most spell or utility worthy. Shouting Tree, you'll be with Dr. Cohen, which I'm sure will make you happy. Agnipati, you'll get some girl-time with Sister Desiria. I'll be with Underhill.

"Each teammate will stand near the other. Each team will be separated by 20 feet. It seems that the vines have a 15-foot reach, so that helps, but one in the middle can still get one team or the other, but not the third. I and Underhill will take the lead. Sister Desiria, you used a vast amount of your priestly powers, meaning you'll be depending on sorcery; Agnipati will protect you in the middle. That leave Shouting Tree and Dr. Cohen in the rear.

"Single file is best. Any other suggestions? Underhill, what about you?"

[Swami Monsoon]

Tom wonders just how, as a creature of cold and mist, he'd ended up sailing the tropical seas... and then mixed up in a fight with a bunch of villains who laugh at ice magic... Well, making good life choices has never been his strong suit. The captain's question interrupts his thoughts...

"Hmmm... I wonder how well that old ship will burn... Fire some spells at it from range? Drop something from overhead? As they say in the Colonial Marines, 'it's the only way to be sure.' Or is there something on board that we might need to save?"

[lostsole31]

"I hate to be a Divanarah Detractor," cynically hums Agnipati, "but the entire vegetation we've dealt with is slick. With the humidity, if this stuff is living plant it's going to be wet and soggy like the rest. That doesn't mean it'll be resistant to fire like the assassin vines, but I doubt area fire-bombing will help."

"She's right," says Dr. Cohen with a sigh (he does not like agreeing with her). "If we already had something with us, that would be one thing, but we don't. We've traveled for two hours to go three miles. Going back to the ship would make that 4 hours total. Say a half-hour to gather the stored lamp oil that we need. Then figure that it will take us more than that, perhaps only a mile an hour, vice two, because of the oil we're carrying through this much, so 7-1/2 hours just to get back to this point. And we'd still have another seven miles to go. And this all assumes a straight run, and I've told you we have some skirting around to do.

"Captain, I'd say we press on and use our light to end this. Otherwise, we're talking another night attack. And this time, we've lost the terrain advantage and we can be attacked from all directions. And, we're without Skald's St. Cuthbert's fire (aka, faerie fire)."