(PF) maggie's Rise of the Runelords: Hook Mountain Massacre IC

[Bhaakon]

Holding a straight face against the warnings of desperate goblins is a bit of a challenge, but Brin manages. She'd heard how the group had treated the last bunch of the grubby little rotters they came across, and she well knew that she and Naya would fair at least as well. Seagulls...those were a more serious concern. She'd gone to the trouble of having her entire wardrobe laundered and patched up before the trip, and while the Hat could cover up any blemishes, Brin would know about any slimy white streaks hiding beneath the illusion. Spilt wine and grease spots were one thing, but guano was another, far more onerous, matter entirely.

So she's about to heed the Captain's advice and head below when the other elf walks up greets the group. And says almost exactly the wrong thing. "Sirus's physique now reflects his stony demeanor." Brin explains, purposely circumspect. "And Taladron is busy making every effort to remedy that situation."

"You must be Shalelu." She continues, after a pause to let her initial reply sink in. "My name is Brin. I got mixed up with this lot while dealing with a string of murders in Sandpoint, and, well, it lead to here."

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

If Shalelu is perplexed or annoyed by the cryptic nature of Brin's reply, she doesn't show it. She merely quirks an eyebrow in faint surprise, canting her head to one side in apparent thought as she takes in the other elf's distinctly human style of dressing. Then, nodding slightly to herself, she raises her eyes to Brin's and - perhaps to the latter's surprise - bows low from the waist with one fist clenched over her heart. "You have the right of that. Shalelu Andosana, I am, of the Crying Leaf village. Kaerol, aelaes moraes. O eisi ei jhyl shae thys si jhal os si Mierani*."

*Elven

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Greetings, elder sister. You are a long way from the lands of the Mierani.

Straightening up, she turns her attention towards the others, her voice as husky and wry as ever, with only the faintest traces of an elven accent. "Hello, Rico. Red. Lady of Winds, I have not had the pleasure of meeting you before. But Setsuna - you seem much paler than usual. What happened?"

[jamieth]

"Greetings, miss Shalelu", Naya gives the ranger a small bow, "we hadn't met before, true, but our companions have told me about you - nice to meet you... my name's Naya, formerly of the Sapphire Scarabs exploration team, in Wati - that's Osirion... I've met miss Setsuna, miss Rico, miss Red, miss Brin and others here in Magnimar by chance, and happened to help them a little... and after learning about the threat they're fighting against, just couldn't stay aside. Nice to meet you."

[Bhaakon]

Brin flinches and fidgets as Shalelu uses the elven tongue. She could understand it perfectly, but her fumbling Varisian accent in the ancestral language was more than subtle. During the time she'd spent among her birth-parents' people, that accent had been a constant source of shame. Oh, sure, the Mierani had been nice enough about correcting her, constantly, at length, and with the tone of an adult lecturing a toddler. It was a daily humiliation. One of the many reasons why her stay there had been a brief one. Gah, this is why I hate being around 'proper' elves. At least Taladron had family in Magnimar.

"Brin Zafira." She adds, emphasizing the decidedly Varisian surname. She tries not to let her annoyance at the reminder of her lost heritage slip in to her tone. "And these are my people, at least for now. I've long made my home on the road."

[Desril]

Setsuna

While Setsuna hadn't quite gone through the trouble Brin had of having her wardrobe laundered, there was little need when an adventure was about to begin and a simple magic could clean it far more swiftly, she too was warily eying the gulls. While her elven companion was just leery of a wasted cleaning effort, the tiefling's new attire, her sarashi replaced by the snakeskin peeled from Xanesha's chest, the magic in it reshaping to fit her curves far too tightly for modesty, was hardly decent to begin with and she'd rather avoid needing to bathe in the river before they even left the city. Nor was her own similarity to a marble statue, a racially detested enemy of such creatures as these flying rats, lost on her.

Still, she smiles at the sight of Shalelu. It'd been a while since she'd seen the elf, and she was every bit just as impressive looking to the impressionable tiefling as she was when they'd last met. But when she asks what happens, Setsuna actually seems fairly embarrased. She hadn't gone entirely avoiding that question, but the number of people who asked it were usually few and far between, she assumed most people simply took it for granted that she should look like that due to her obviously inhuman heritage. Shalelu, on the other hand, had seen her before. Biting her lip, she does eventually answer in a quiet voice, "I am still not sure...I seem to have...molted, since I saw you last. It is still strange to me, but I am stronger now than I was too." She makes a resigned sigh, the kind of sigh of resignation that you make when discussing regrettable things that can't be helped and says a single word in her native tongue, "Shishunki..."

Spoiler: Minkanian

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Puberty...

[maggie_mcknife]

Red

"Hi." Red nods shyly at Shalelu, giving a little wave of the hand before going back to rubbing the nearest stray cat behind the ears - a ragged-looking brindled moggy missing an eye and most of its tail, with a purr like a rusty saw. They weren't going back to Sandpoint after all. Hopefully Kaye wouldn't mind watching over Kitten for a while longer. Dear Kitten. She'd miss it very much. But the road was no place for a cat, even a bold one that dared to hunt crows. Perhaps there would be cats where they were going to - there always were, in any place with a fishing community.

Still crouching on her haunches, Red uses the knuckles of one hand to stroke the cat along its scrawny neck, watching the exchanges between the others and Shalelu with mild curiosity. Ameiko had always made jokes about how Shalelu was about as blunt as a kick in the shins. Red had needed Rico to explain that one, but it'd made sense too, once Rico had made it out for her. Funny. Brin didn't seem to like Shalelu much. But Naya seemed happy enough and that was good.

And as for Setsuna... Red cranes her neck upward, looking askance at the tiefling, the skin on the back of her neck tingling. She still hadn't quite made up her mind how to feel about Setsuna. After all that. It was probably best to just stick to being friends though. Especially if they were going to have to keep on working together for goodness knew how many more weeks...

*****

GM post

Shalelu accepts Setsuna's explanation with commendable stoicism, peering intently down the length of her nose at the tiefling's glossy hide. "Well. Haven't heard of tieflings going the way of snakes before. But perhaps there is a first time for everything. As the gnomes put it, if naught ever changed, there would be no butterflies. And you, my friend, are worth much more than a little insect."

Patting Setsuna gently on the shoulder, the elf turns once more to Naya and Brin, giving them a brief nod each. "Well met. If you're both as seasoned travellers as you say you are, then I think we'll get along just fine. Time, as I understand from the Lord-Mayor, is of the greatest essence for us. Ah, Captain. My thanks for waiting. I believe you have some effects to hand over to me?" Shalelu's voice is crisp, with an easy tone of command that belies her grubby appearance.

Captain Uriana, whom it seems has been slightly nettled by being thus far ignored, scowls as she thrusts a thick wad of documents bound in waxed paper and a wooden scroll case at Shalelu's nose. "Aye. Yes. Take 'em," she grumbles, folding her hands back across her breastplate. "There's only one of those message spell-things in there. You're not to read it unless it's some huge emergency or something. You're to act as a representative of the Council to escort these fine ladies, nothing more. And," she says aloud, sniffing haughtily and giving the rest of you a significant look as she does so. "His Lordship says that whatever your unfinished business is with the Black Arrows, if you lay as much as a finger on any of them, it will be their turn to arrest you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Don't you worry about that, Captain." Shalelu replies wryly, almost smirking as she idly tosses the scroll case into the air, catching it again with a deft twist of the wrist. "I won't be laying no fingers on his precious Black Arrows, for as long as they do no harm to me. That, I swear by the Greatest of Dreamers. Now, we ready to go?"

Sense Motive DC 16

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It doesn't take a genius to realise that Shalelu wouldn't actually need to touch the Black Arrows to do them harm, not when she's reputed to be one of the deadliest shots in southwestern Varisia and is carrying around a massive bow. Still, oath to Desna or not, there's a bitter edge in her voice that you can't quite place. Something in your gut tells you that whatever Shalelu's "unfinished business" is, it's probably something she's not very happy about.

[Bhaakon]

Brin lets mention of Shalelu's unfinished business hang in the air without comment. She really wanted to dislike the woman, seeing as Shalelu's very presence made her feel uncomfortable, reminded her of things she lost and couldn't ever recover, but she was so darned nice. And that idea that she might have some sort of beef with the Black Arrows just made her seem less perfect (which tended to be a plus in Brin's book).

But, gah, she was still a proper Mierani elf.

"Yeah, we should get going. No time to lose and all that." She says instead, and goes to stow her things and stake out a nice comfortable spot to break open her new magic jug. Travel was boring, after all. She needed something to help pass the time.

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

Despite the political hullabaloo that had resulted from your bloody unmasking of Justice Ironbriar as a crooked judge (and not to mention a certain trip to the local bathhouse that had resulted in Naya and Setsuna unceremoniously returning home without a stitch of clothing on), there are precious few in Magnimar who could actually put a name to your faces. Although the sight of a crew as motley as yours does draw a few curious glances and murmurs, the sight of the Watch captain in full armour planted like a gleaming tree at your side suffices to encourage passer-bys not to linger.

Nor has anyone else come to bid you farewell. Taladron, in his usual laconic manner, had remained behind at Aunt Vera's, content to wave goodbye from behind a massive pile of tomes and a bowl of breakfast oats gone cold. As it turned out, such terse behaviour ran in the family, for Aunt Vera too had elected to remain at her shop counter rather than see you off, limiting herself to a gentle reminder to make sure that the plates were washed and the front door shut before you left. And without his mistress's leave to go roaming, even Qistala had had to make do with a gentle purr in your ear from his perch on your shoulder, the pseudodragon chirruping his wishes for good food and warm sleeping spots wherever you were going.

Captain Uriana, on her part, isn't one to hold back. "First thing you get there, find Mayor Shreed so he'll send a bird our way. He'll let you know what's what. And be safe out there!" She calls after you through cupped hands as the barge shudders away from the dock, borne slowly inland on the rising spring tide. The unwonted screech of frustration that shortly follows suffices to alert you that at least one of the circling seagulls has managed to make a generous deposit on the good Captain's sleeve, reminding those of you still above deck that you should probably head inside as soon as possible to get settled for the week...

*****

Day 51: Neth 12, 4707

Just past 1400hrs.

Despite Captain Uriana's predictions of wild goblins and bandits, the past three days journey up the Yondabakari have so far proved surprisingly dull.

One distinct advantage of having Lord-Mayor Grobaras handle your boat chartering is the quality of the vessel itself. Though the trading barge that you find yourselves on is no pleasure jaunt-boat, it is far sturdier than most of the rickety excuses for boats that you encounter on the river as you sail. Nor are you expected to help out on board as would be the case in most charters, leaving those of you who choose to sit easy free to do so. Still, offers of help do not go amiss. For those who ask, there is plenty to lend a hand with on board - whether it be tending to the team of horses gallantly hauling the barge upriver against the current, keeping the cook from crisping all your meals black in lard, or even helping to shift the cheesecloth wrapped bales and crates about when the barge docked in at the river bank to load and unload more cargo.

Nevertheless, the tasks are mundane, as is the scenery. The bustle and jam of Magnimar's teeming shores had quickly given way to the silence of as-yet unspoiled nature, but also the tedium of the open road. The view to the north consists of the undulating hilltops of the Lost Coast punctuated with the occasional oak-twisted forest. To the south, however, lie the Mushfens - an expanse of primeval marsh as far as the eye can see, draped in sheets of moss and vines, and also smelling faintly of decaying eggs. While the murky pockets of still water and the fetid smell had kept you on your toes for an hour or two, the failure of the promised goblin raiders to appear soon tired those of you ready for a scrap. Even Shalelu, famed ranger that she was, who'd immediately volunteered to serve as lookout in the crow's nest, had been caught nearly nodding off by those of you who'd chanced to look up every so often.

Aside from yourselves, the crew, and someone's cargo of a hundred and twenty-one chickens, the only other passengers are a surly trio with faces almost as sour as the ripe odour of their unwashed clothes. While snatches of forced polite conversation at meal times that gleaned that the man and two women were hunters headed home for Bitter Hollow, a little thorpe even further up the river than Turtleback Ferry, the trio hadn't seemed particularly eager to befriend any of you, keeping to themselves below decks where they took turns with the crew at the oars. The same went for the crew - a six person team led by a grizzled one-eyed Garundi who'd introduced himself to you as Captain Amin and then done his best to avoid you. It's likely that your association with the Lord-Mayor and Captain Uriana has much to do with this reticence; if anything happens to you on the way, it'll be their heads on the blocks, after all.

To be sure, Qistala's parting wish for good food and warm sleeping spots has been a vain one thus far, given the cook's desultory culinary efforts and the difficulty of sleeping in a hammock. But all in all, things were going smoothly enough. Mostly.

Shalelu's whistle over the holler of the man working the horses is shrill enough to rouse you out of your post-lunch stupor. (The soup had been rather bland, with all the flavour boiled out of the beef, which may or may not have caused some of you to go a little too heavy on the dark stout beer that Captain Amin seemed to have in plenty.) Stepping out on deck, you find that the elf has descended from her perch, shielding her eyes with her hand as she gazes at the dark silhouette of some massive creature about half a mile up from where you are, apparently squatting in the river and most definitely blocking your path.

"Giant snapping turtle," explains the elf with a dark air of grim amusement when she sees you approach. "Don't suppose you've got relevant experience in the moving of massive reptiles?"

Knowledge (nature) DC 19

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The giant snapping turtle is a very large and very aggressive version of its smaller cousin. Usually found in large lakes, rivers, and inland seas, they are capable of growing up to 75 feet in diameter across the shell. The hooked beak of a full grown adult is capable of smashing wooden boat hulls and swallowing livestock whole, which makes them dreaded banes to smaller communities near bodies of water. It is this turtle from which Turtleback Ferry draws it name - for their use of the sturdy shells of the giant snapping turtle as boats.

[jamieth]

Naya

"Move?" Throughout her brief but intensive career, the sylpf never happened to vitness a living creature of such scale, "you mean this, this thing, can actually move by itself? Well, in that case... I don't think we could force it to move, but... what do these beings eat? Maybe we could bait it... hold some kind of treat in front of it, and... keeping in the air, I could probably evade it easily... maybe?"

[Desril]

Setsuna

It was obvious that the Minkan tiefling meant well, but...it was quickly apparent to everyone that Setsuna's well-intentioned aid was best turned down in more mundane tasks. Maybe it was a general sense of queasiness brought on from being on the boat, but given her ineptitude at cooking with the ingredients available, meals that Setsuna helped prepare somehow came out worse than when the cook was left on his own, horses that she tried to help tend became more prone to slowing down and slacking off while she was caring for them, and her lack of basic physical strength meant that she was more of an obstacle than help in the loading and unloading of supplies. In the end, the only thing Setsuna is capable of doing is trying to raise morale, but given the taciturn nature of those on the boat, even that role is limited to simply having a pretty figure to look at.

Eventually, even the normally optimistic tiefling gave up trying to be of use to anyone on the boat, her efforts only depressing her, so at the sound of Shalelu's warning, Setsuna eagerly dashed to the front of the barge to get a better look at a problem she could finally actually do something about. But there, she simply stops and gazes in awe at the gargantuan turtle, never having seen a creature so large. After a moment, she calls up to Shalelu, "Do you know anything about what we could use to bait this? I know it is dangerous, but if we can lure it away we do not need to kill it, Naya is right!"

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

"I'm not a giant turtle myself, wouldn't know what they'd consider a treat. But the fat bastards eat almost anything. Fish. Rats. Dead leftovers. Other turtles. At this size, they'd likely eat a cow, easy. Probably Red here, if she got too close to the jaws. She's titchy enough." Shalelu says cheerfully with a careless shrug, oblivious to how Red (who stands just behind her) turns a shade paler at the cheeks. "Don't think Captain Amin will appreciate you feeding it all those chickens down below though."

"Yer damn right I wuddint. Lay yer hands offa de merchandise." A gruff voice informs you of the barge captain's arrival as he lumbers on desk, limping slightly from a bum leg. "Ain't gonna go no further with yon lakposht chummin' up de river. I don't wants de boat bitten in two pieces."

[Bhaakon]

"Red, eh?" Brin mutters, thinking. "Well, I don't know about that, bet it can swim faster than any of us, but I think we can serve up something. Naya...you can float just out of its reach, can't you? Draw it off for a few minutes while we float past?"

"Er...maybe we can do something to make you look like more of a meal." Brin activates her hat, bloating up until she's a decent representation of the good Lord Mayor himself. Pleased with the result, she removes the hat and offers it to the tiny sylph. "Just don't let it catch you. Old Groby might choke the beast."

[maggie_mcknife]

Red

Now she wished she hadn't been so happy to help out the boat captain with his chores. The sweeping had been good. Red liked sweeping floors. It reminded her of clearing out the meditation halls with Rathi. But helping with the big wooden boxes and bundles had left her muscles sore and aching; it'd been a while since she'd hurt enough for coins to have to do that kind of work, and her body was letting her know it.

Why did Shalelu have to talk about the big turtle eating her? Wincing inwardly, Red fails to giggle at Brin's best impression of the fat Lord-Mayor, instead nervously glancing over the rails, trying to decide how fast that turtle could move if it was angry. "B-but what if... it catches her? Then what?"

[jamieth]

Naya

"It's OK, miss Red", the sylph replied, "I have a spell to turn into wind momentarily, should it try to swallow me, I'll just - whoosh! - and then, turn invisible, or something..." Naya wasn't nearly as confident as she tried to show; the spell had limits, something too large, or too fast, could still tear through the wind and leave wounds after she solidifyed again... but that wasn't something that Red had to know now, "And I promise not to get too close to it... though I think some protection magic won't hurt?" she looked, questioning, at Setsuna and Brin, then, taking the hat cleric handed to her, unhesitatingly pulled her dress off. "Hold onto this while I'm holding onto your hat, OK, miss Brin?" she smiled before putting the hat on.

[Desril]

Setsuna

Trying not to do anything more than casually glance at Naya as she strips down, Setsuna moves over and offers her wand to the sylph in case she needs it before leaping off to dry land. "I will stay a little ways away from the boat, closer to you, in case something goes wrong," she explains. Though she trusts Naya to succeed, that is a very large turtle, and if she underestimates it, the tiefling would rather be nearby to make it spit her out just in case.

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Setsuna is approaching on land but staying a good 80 feet or so back. Far enough that she can get to the turtle in one round if she needs to but that it can't really get to her.

....also it dawns on me that other than Mage Armor and Blur, all of my buffs are Personal so I can't share them, sorry Jamie!

[Bhaakon]

Brin rolls her eyes at her new companion's odd proclivities. Not that she could complain over-much about embarassing travel-mates, given some of her past discretion. Still...


"If you're planning to strip down and oil yourself to escape the thing's grasp, you don't need to worry." She says, somewhat pointedly. "The Lady has just the spell to make sure you slip free if it gets its jaws on you, no grease required."

She goes right into casting the spell, somehow doubting the strange sorceress would take her skivvies back.

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Brin casts Freedom of Movement on Naya. Grapple immunity (and more!) for 70 minutes.

[jamieth]

Naya

"It's not that, miss Brin", the sylph shakes her head, looking down, "Though thank you for the spell anyway, of course - but it's just that I fly better when there's nothing between my skin and the wind. Sorry if I'm making it uncomfortable for you, but... oh, and thank you for the spell anyway, I'm sure it'll be useful. And, thanks, miss Setsuna", taking the wand, Naya waves it, summoning a field of force around her body.

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

Naya's stripping, perhaps surprisingly, fails to elicit as much as a brow waggle from any of the barge's surly crew. Captain Amin merely continues to stolidly chew on some vile-smelling wad of leaf tucked into his cheek, growling out orders to the rest of his crew as they scramble back below the deck to row the barge as close as they dared. (They were river-folk, after all, and swimming in the nude would have been par for the course.) The same cannot be said, however, of the more foul smelling of the women hunters from Bitter Hollow. While her companions retreat back to the mess room, clearly determined that ridding the river of a giant turtle will be none of their business, she seats herself on a nearby barrel where her view of Naya will be unimpeded - a carnal gleam in her dark eyes, a white-spotted tongue swiping along her lips and one hand quite openly massaging the chapped leathers of her breeches above the inner thigh.

On her part, Shalelu grins at Brin's imitation of the Lord-Mayor, dropping her usual reserve as she tries to stifle a snort but ends up giggling wickedly from behind her hand. "Now that is just beautiful, elder sister. I'm not sure I'd want to eat him even if I was a giant turtle, but damn. You've got a good eye for the details. Come on then, ladies. Captain will get us close as we can, but best to have more of us out on shore to back Naya up. You too, Red. You're a better swimmer than me and if anyone goes in the drink. we'll need someone who does more than just bobble about to fish them out."

*****

The smell of the turtle hits you like a brick wall as you approach. If you'd thought the sulpherous eggy odour wafting over from the swamp was bad, that is nothing compared to the moist, foul stench - an eye-watering, choking blast not unlike rotting meat - that seemingly rolls off the pitted ridges of turtle's mossy back.

For all your flurry and preparations though, the giant turtle doesn't seem to have taken much notice of you. It lies nearly perpendicular to the bank with its chin resting on some shallow rocks and its eyes closed, apparently basking in the afternoon sun. Even with most of its craggy body still submerged, you still have a full view of its powerful beak, slimed green with algae and festooned with trailing weeds. That turtle, though nowhere near its maximum size, is still easily capable of snapping a log in two like matchwood. You definitely do not want to be caught in that greenish maw.

"Smells like something died in that shell," mutters Shalelu ruefully, squinting at the turtle. "Shall we wake it up, then?"

*****

Map
Note: We are not currently in combat. Map will be expanded as necessary. All "swamp" squares count as the Deep Bog type of terrain. The barge cannot pass through the swamp, though the turtle can splash angrily through it. The barge needs at least 30 clear feet of space to pass through.

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[jamieth]

Naya
HP 24/24
AC 20, Touch 16, FF 15

"Seems we'll have to", the sylpt hods, "I think our best bet would be to lure it into that swamp on the other bank... well... wish me luck."

Lifting off, she floated towards the turtle, stopping some fifty feet ahead of it and looking at her companions. Her by-now trademark shurikens floated around as she waited for any indication to go along with the plan. Surely a single shiriken won't do enough harm to sent the beast raging... the question was, will it even sense it through the thick shell?

[Bhaakon]

'Urrrrgh" Brin shudders and tries not to think about what the ill-kempt hunteress was doing with her hand. She might even yell at the brazen voyeur if Naya wasn't inviting the attention so blatantly. Instead, she pulls the jug of magical plum brandy from her pack and tries very hard to wash her imagination clean with a long swig. The noises made it rather difficult.

Um...you're right. We should get to the shore. Now." Brin answers Shalelu's suggestion. She'd actually planned on staying on the barge, but recent developments had soured her on that prospect. Needless to say, Brin would not be stripping for the swim.

Once on shore, she has one final word for Naya. "Luring him into the muck is best, but it will be hard to support you there. Maybe you should give Setsuna or Rico their own flight enchantment so that she can come rescue you if things go sour. For my part, I'll ask the Lady to strike it blind if it seems close to grabbing you."

If I don't ask her to blind that pervert on the barge first...

[Desril]

Setsuna

Cheerfully oblivious to Naya's new and very brazen admirer, Setsuna follows along the others up the shore, her face scrunched up in response to the odious scent wafting over them, obviously agreeing with Shalelu's assessment. "That seems like a good plan to me, but we should do it quickly, and move it as far away as we can! It smells nearly as awful as those ghasts did," the tiefling complains before waiting to see if Naya is going to have her enchanted to fly as well.

Initially she didn't want to hurt the poor beast, but after having to smell it, her sympathy began to dry up quickly so she didn't say anything when Naya conjured her electrical shuriken, figuring that they were likely too weak to do more than simply rouse and irritate the slumbering behemoth.

[jamieth]

Naya

"That's a good idea", Naya nods, "Just hope I'll be close enough to renew the spell..."

Casting another flight enchancement on the tiefling, she turns back to the turtle, and lets one of her shurikens towards it. Let's go, then...

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Attack: (1d20+8)[18] vs. Touch
Damage: (1d8)[8] electric

Shurikens left: 3, 6 rounds left

Current position: 40 feet in front (and above) of the turtle, max rtange for shuriken.

[Miraqariftsky]

Cursing herself for having been lulled by the familiar rocking of a boat, Rico tumbles out. Thankful for the preparedness, but still cursing the various aches from yesterday's cargo-hauling and having slept in her full armour yet again, following the noises, she glares into the distance...

...and then takes off towards the clump of her comrades, her odds and ends of piecemeal plate and spear and sword and bags and the rest of her trusty harness.

Having at least the decorum to blush then grimace deeply on arriving, she gruffly says, "Sorry I woke up late. 'Twas... the water, the waves..."

"...right, wot's this, now?" she says while sizing up the behemoth before them. Rummaging in a certain pouch she comes up with a thin paper packet containing half a pound of chilli. Giving it a good squeeze to get the juices going--- and scrunching up her nose while doing so--- she tosses the stuff to Naya, saying, "Here, catch! Reckon ye could shove this down its nostrils?"

[jamieth]

"That's a good idea, Miss Rico", Naya nods, "It'll probably do better for waking the beast up than any random shock... let's see..." a small hurricane forming in front of her, Naya tosses the pouch - untying it first, of course - into the vortex and sends it towards the creature.

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

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GST's Fort save vs chilli DC 19: (1d20+12)[32] - passed
Naya's touch attack vs... a horrifically low touch AC - passed

Initiative:
GST: (1d20+2)[12]
Naya: (1d20+5)[25]

As Naya swoops off with her handful of crushed chilli in hand and lightning crackling about her nimble fingers, it may have perhaps occurred to the more scientifically inclined of you that even the lightest of electric zaps to an algae-crusted behemoth still dripping with river water was probably going to be pretty potent. Before any of you can raise a word of caution though, you behold Naya's shuriken shatter into sparks across the giant turtle's shell, leaving a leathery crater of flesh seared to ash and adding a pungent marshy odour to the malodorous cloud lingering in the air.

An alien, frenzied hissing - a cross between a kettle's bronze scream and a maddened cat's yowl - immediately issues forth from the creature's chapped beak. Lashing its serpentine neck from side to side, the turtle shakes itself back into wakefulness, fixing beady black eyes the size of dinner plates upon the bobbing form of the sylph sorceress. Even a quick dose of chili up the nostrils does little more than to ineffectually splatter the creature's snout a disturbing shade of red. With a single powerful snort, the turtle expels the irritant substance, its eyes still trained unerringly upon Naya as it bestirs its tree-trunk limbs, lumbering around to face her...

Naya and the GST are now in combat. Other party members are free to join in if so desired. Talking is a free action.

Initiative Order:
> 25 - Naya
12 - Giant Snapping Turtle

It is now Naya's turn.

*****

Combat Map

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[jamieth]

Naya
HP 24/24
AC 24, FF 15, Touch 20

"OK, it worked... maybe a bit too well..." Naya backs down, keeping her eyes on the turtle at all moments, slowly moving to the swampy side of the river.

Spoiler

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Move to E9, Full Defense

[maggie_mcknife]

GM post

Although Naya deliberately dawdles and takes longer than needed to hover tantalisingly just out of the turtle's reach, it is quite clear to the rest of you watching from the shore that this is not a speedy creature in any sense of the word.

Heaving itself off the riverbed, the turtle ploughs slowly through the river with labourious but powerful sweeps of its stubby legs, its ridged neck taut and quivering as it struggles to focus on the Naya's darting form. Such is the bulk of its massive body that even though it barely makes any progress forward, one simple surge of its high shell immediately turns the waters choppy, raising waves that crash against the bank and shower you with tiny muddy droplets. It is no small wonder that Captain Amin doesn't want this beast anywhere near the barge - not when it could probably upend the entire vessel like a toy boat.

With the turtle now turned broadside, however, those of you on shore now have a full view of the true reason for the choking odour that hangs about this turtle. A terrible crack in its carapace runs along its left flank, with a goodly chunk of scute missing, exposing pale gangrenous flesh ringed ulcerous pink in which the broken-off hafts of several harpoons are still embedded. Shalelu hadn't been entirely wrong earlier on to say that it smelled like something had died - for it certainly looks like the turtle's rotting flesh has marinating away in its own shell, turning the wound putrid, bloated with filthy river water.

Heal DC 12

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You've not likely tried out your doctoring on animals before, but it looks like that wound has been festering for at least a week or so.

Perception DC 15

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It's a little hard to see amidst the trailing weeds that have gotten tangled up on the hafts, but those of you with your eyes peeled manage to spot that some of the harpoons bear tattered scarlet rags painted with some markings in black. Whoever tried to spear this turtle was likely part of some organised group and those harpoons are way too big to have been wielded by a "goblin raiding party".

*****

Combat Map

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[jamieth]

Naya
HP 24/24
AC 24, FF 15, Touch 20

So far so good... gradually gaining confidence, Naya starts guiding the turtle off-course - or at least trying to, as she turns her course to the swampy right shore.

Spoiler: OOC

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Let's say... H12, still Full Defense

[Miraqariftsky]

Rico
HP 56/56 AC 17/22
Enlarge Person 10/10


Rico whistles appreciatively at the devastation their azure sorceress is storming down upon the massive monster. One hand rises, adjusting her hat's brim against a gust of wind, and then she catches a whiff of something foul and more rotten than simply river rubbish.

Clomping through the tall grasses of that side of the swamp to get a closer look, she glares through the foulness as she glimpses the great wound rent through the beast's shell. The apparent craftsmanship of the harpoons that had harassed it, however, suggest that its former tormentors were no mere goblin raiders.

Calling out to her comrades, Rico says, "This 'ere beastie's got a right nasty wound. We might be doin' a favour by puttin' it outta its misery. Godda huge rottin' hole in its side..."

"...KOFF." She glares and continues, "Ma'am Brin? Just makin' sure... Can ya give it a scan? Izzit magicked or demonic in any way?"

Nodding sternly, she then shoulders her shield and prepares Xanesha's former spear. Fishing around in her pockets, she takes out a marked vial, pops the cork and quaffs the spicy brew. She widens her legs' stance, her now behemoth boots squelching deep in the muck. She braces and sways as she tries to keep her balance as she swells to an ogre's stature, coming up on par with the beast's size.

Spoiler

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Move to K2.
Quaff Enlarge Person potion.

[maggie_mcknife]

Red + GM post

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Heal check: (1d20+2)[22] - passed

"Those... those are... not so new. M-more than... five days. No- seven..." Red hesitates as old memories flash unbidden before her eyes - a dead village devastated by gnoll raiders, the air sickly-sweet, thick with carrion flies drawn to the festering wounds of those who had lived - then shakes her head, lips pressed tight and a vague tremor as she flares her nostrils. Gods damn it. The ghouls around Sandpoint had stank bad enough, but there was nothing quite so bad as the horrific stink of people rotting alive.

She watches Rico clamber down the bank and gulp the magic potion with undisguised concern. That turtle was bloody huge. Even a bigger Rico would find it a tough fight. She cranes her head to look up at Shalelu, one hand already wandering to the bow she barely used. If it came down to fighting, she wouldn't be of much help. Perhaps Rico oughta just toss her onto the turtle so she could go for the big wound in its side, if that came to that. "S-should we? Kill it?"

"I don't know about that. Much as I don't like the idea of letting that poor beast to suffer, slaying it wouldn't be the easiest of tasks either. Granted, we could choose to heal its wounds instead. But that would get us no closer to clearing it out of the way. Make it more dangerous, if anything. What idiot tries to hunt one of those and doesn't have the decency to finish off the job properly?" Shalelu bears a distinct look of annoyance on her lean face, wrinkling her nose as she studies the lumbering turtle. "I... could try to... reason with it. But turtles are hardly famed for their intelligence. It'd be liable to try to gobble me up as listen to me. How about that then, Brin? What about you, Setsuna - does that wide compassion of yours extend to smelly injured reptiles who want to eat you?"

*****

Rico is now under the effects of Enlarge Person.

*****

The turtle continues its ponderous crawl towards Naya, its front claws beginning to paddle as it wades out into deeper waters. Being grievously injured doesn't seem to have slowed it down much, but it is a turtle after all - and thus unlikely to win any prizes for speed anytime soon. For some reason, it hasn't noticed Rico yet, its eyes still trained on Naya's form.

If anyone follows Rico's instructions to use Detect Magic / Detect Evil

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The giant turtle, as it turns out, is most definitely neither magical nor evil. Some of the harpoons fixed in its side do bear faint magical auras though - they've been likely enchanted to deal additional damage, something beyond the ken of a goblin shaman to cast.

*****

Initiative Order:
> 25 - Naya
12 - Giant Snapping Turtle

It is now Naya's turn.

*****

Combat Map

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