Passage to Paradise

[madtinker]

Petr falls onto the platform, scrambling to free himself from the rope. The others ready their weapons.

As the thing gets closer you can see that he is similar to a clawfoot only in general shape: a bipedal dinosaur with a long tail for balance. His head is huge and boxy, with teeth as long as your head. You don't see a razor claw like clawfoots have, and it only has vestigial forearms. As the other hunters begin taking their places on the catwalk, you hear mutterings of "Pelor save us" and "what in the unholy darkness..."

A few hunters begin loosing arrows, but they do little to slow the beast. He's just a few strides from the palisade (within 30 ft).

[Manwhoisthisman]

The sound of small waves softly lapping on a shore fills the nearby air as I focus on filling the dinosaur's mind with an attraction to a nice quite lake.
(will save DC 13)

Spoiler: Stat Tracking

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HP 5 | PP 11 | XP 730

[madtinker]

Time seems to stand still, but only for a moment. The huge predator flicks his head ever so slightly and continues his charge.With a sickening crunch of wood the animal throws himself against the wall. The platform lurches beneath your feet. A man on your left overbalances trying to compensate and falls backwards over the rail. You manage to keep your footing, and can clearly see several large, bleeding punctures on the beast's front.

A thundering roar of pain shakes the earth.

Undaunted, Tom stabs at the animal's face, trying to drive it away from the wall.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Could I get a wilderness lore or sense motive roll? I'm thinking, "That seems very unnatural, perhaps I was not the first to attempt to charm the beast."

Meanswhile -- as I'm not sure what I'd do even if I did know it was under some compulsion -- I'll go ahead an start the slow cooking process. A low sizzling sound fills the air and waves of heat are briefly visible, though not felt, as I focus my concentration on the dinosaur again.

Spoiler: Matter Agitation

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Manifest matter agitation, dino takes 1 point of damage this turn, 1d4 next turn, and then 1d6 every turn until it leaves, gives up the ghost, or makes me concentrate on something else.

Spoiler: Stat tracking

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HP 5 | PP 10 | XP 730

Also, you should ready yesterday's whatif.xkcd -- totally fitting!

[madtinker]

The beast seems entirely out of his element. The dark green of his skin doesn't match local flora: something must have displaced him from his normal range.

He lunges at the wall, jaws snapping shut inches from the torso of one of the hunters. Tom continues his efforts to stab him, and more arrows fly, embedding in thick skin.

Ooc:we have guessed a lot more about tyrannosaurus than I would ever have guessed.

[Manwhoisthisman]

♫ Cook, cook, cook the tyrannosaur ♫ "damage" - (1d4)[3]

[madtinker]

OOC:

He roars in rage and pain, and you see two more puncture wounds from the wall spikes. Turning his back on the wall, he snatches one of the petrified oxen from the wagon harness, dicing the body with one bite.

[Manwhoisthisman]

Great, lets keep cooking 'til he's gone (or at least 30 feet away, strangely)."damage" - (1d6)[2]

[madtinker]

Tom calls a halt to the archers, afraid of provoking the beast into another attack. After downing another ox, he grabs a third in his jaws and turns his back on the palisade, trailing blood as he limps toward the jungle.

[Manwhoisthisman]

"I think our little town has made enemies today, Tom. That beast looked very out of place, even for the forest."

[madtinker]

Tom looks around to survey his men. "Help that man!" pointing to the now-unconscious hunter that fell from the wall. Turning back to you, "You may be right Tobias. I've never seen the like. Thank Pelor we were close enough to the palisade." He pauses to unwrap a lollipop, and men begin clambering down from the catwalk. "Now, let's get him (indicating Georg) down and to Father Feodor before some other beastie happens along."

[Manwhoisthisman]

"Yeah, it is miraculous that we've only lost several oxen," I say before walking over to help up Sam and Georg (assuming they're not already up), and assist them getting Georg safely down from the catwalk.

[madtinker]

Between the three of you you manage to maneuver Georg down the ladder. Tom follows you after giving the horizon a long look around under the light of the setting sun.

At the bottom, Gunnison meets him. "When will we retrieve the wagon and oxen?"

"Not today." The grim look and terse answer intimidate the portly carpenter into silence, but he is clearly agitated as you start the walk back to town.

[Manwhoisthisman]

"Sam, you go on ahead, I'll catch up. Tom, do you have a minute?" I ask while moving away from Gunnison.

[madtinker]

Unwrapping another lollipop, Tom falls in step beside you. "What's on your mind?"

[Manwhoisthisman]

Speaking in hushed tones, "I think it might be better to let Gunnison or some of his men get any oxen left out there. They might attract predators if they stay out, and he needs to find out his headcount sooner or later because he can't haul the wood with whats left out there."

[madtinker]

"yes, but if the gate is opened and that beast returns we may never close it in time. I can't risk letting that thing inside the fence."

[Manwhoisthisman]

I nod, "Yeah, you're right. Thanks for taking care of us today Tom."

[madtinker]

Tom chuckles. "it was a bit of a mess out there, wasn't it?"

[Manwhoisthisman]

I grin and give a nod, "Sure was, but everyone made it back, well, except for the oxen, so it was better than it could've been by a lot. Plus, you know, there'll be stories about you repelling the giant beast, so it wasn't all bad."

[madtinker]

"and, the craftsmen won't grumble so much at paying our room and board with that monster on the loose."

After a pause, he adds, "what were you saying earlier about enemies?

[Manwhoisthisman]

"That beast, it seemed so out of place. It wasn't the right color to even come from this forest around here -- and it wasn't right. Wouldn't a beast like that normally go for the oxen first? And probably wouldn't charge over open plain and into a wall. It may have been under some spell or compulsion -- perhaps I'll speak with Father Feodor about that -- but who could do that that doesn't live here? And who would that does is a worse question."

[madtinker]

"now, we may not all get along here in New San Angrial, but no one would set that beast on any folk here. Then again... But that isn't my place to explain."

[Manwhoisthisman]

"What do you mean, to explain what?"

[madtinker]

Looking uneasy, Tom glances around, then says in a whisper, "Well, you've heard of the Lost Ones? People who have left New San-Angrial and never returned?"

[Manwhoisthisman]

I look curiously at Tom. "Well sure, but aren't those mostly tales to keep kids from exploring outside the walls?" I ask and then quickly add, "And for good reason from what I've seen today."

[madtinker]

"well, i'll just say that those stories might have more truth to them than you think."

At this point Sam calls back, "Hey Tobias, we've been trying to decide what to call that thing. What do you think of Thunder Lizard?"

Ooc: also, take 200 XP for the encounter with the thunder lizard (there were a lot of others there to share XP with).

[Manwhoisthisman]

"That's surely something to think about," I say to Tom as I turn to catch up with Sam. "Thunder Lizard matches that roaring, but it doesn't touch how huge it was. What about a Giant Razor-tooth?"

Spoiler: Stat Track

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HP 5 | PP 10 | XP 930

[madtinker]

"Hhm, good point. I could go with that, if you helped carry Georg. This boy eats his porridge."

Petr grunts in amusement. "Want me to tell him that when he wakes up Sam?"

"Um, maybe we'll just keep that comment to ourselves?"

[Manwhoisthisman]

"Oh, right," I say absently and move in to shoulder some of the weight. "Either way, I'm glad we can't call it a Wallbreaker."