[IC] Cayden's Cheerful Company; Chapter 1: Carnival of Tears

[Athaleon]

"If we can't torch them, and we can't get too close, can we just shoot them? Bloody figures I didn't bring a crossbow to a carnival."

[Wind-Up Citrus]

"If we can't torch them, and we can't get too close, can we just shoot them? Bloody figures I didn't bring a crossbow to a carnival."

"Shooting will work yes. Would you like to borrow my bow?"

[Spore]

As you try to shoot some, you realize it doesn't deal much if any damage. A shortbow without a composite enhancement simply does not put out enough force to kill the zombies. Torching the whole building, while not impossible might endanger the civilians inside. As you ponder what to do next, you hear screaming from up north in the ice labyrinth. Within a flash you remember the real minotaur that is said to be employed by Namdrin. You'd eat Cayden's favorite mug if he resisted the Eye of Rapture.

Stay here or deal with another threat?

[Wind-Up Citrus]

"I say deal with the threat in front of us. There are innocents inside and I don't wish to make them wait much longer if possible." Drastia says.

[Chromascope3D]

"I agree, it doesn't sound like we have much time. But, we can't in good conscious leave here when there's a chance we could still help those still inside. The zombies themselves can't spread their infection, right?" Clover sheathes his bow and draws his longsword, expectantly.

Spoiler: Clover's Mini Stats

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Clover
Satyr Skald 4 (Urban/Totemic Skald)
HP 22 / 31 Speed 40 ft Init 3
AC 19{20} Fort 9* Ref 7* Will 7*
CMB +5 BAB 3
Edda's Gift (Longbow) +1 [DA] +9*[+8*] (1d8+3[+5], x3)

Arrows: 14/20

Masterwork Longsword [PA] +8*[+7*] (1d8+3(+4)[+4(+6)], 19-20)
Dagger +8* (1d4+2, 19-20)
Str 14 (2) {16 (3)} Dex 16 (3) {18 (4)} Con 14 (2) Wis 10 (0) Int 14 (2) Cha 16 (3)
Perception +9*

Spells Remaining:
Level 1: 1/4
Level 2: 1/2
Current Effects:
*Heroism (40 mins)
{Raging Song}

Used Items:


Used Abilities:
Raging Song: 10/16 rounds used[/B]

[Athaleon]

"While we're here, we'd better deal with these, if we can. If not, we'd better tend to that minotaur. But walking from atrocity to atrocity without stopping them won't help anyone at either spot." With that, he walked up to one of the zombies and thrust his rapier at its head.

Spoiler

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Attack: (1d20+9)[20] Power Attack
Damage: (1d6+14)[20]

[Wind-Up Citrus]

Drastia redraws her bow. "No time like the present." she says.

[Spore]

The arrows do nothing. The best you can hope for is to splinter its bark with a VERY well placed shot. Simultaneously only a single zombie breaks free after a long struggle, advances about 20 ft. and gets grappled again by vines.

You can either enter on the Entangle or Drastia dismisses it and you deal with the zombies normally. The Grimstalker is dead but the brownies could still set up a trap.

[Wind-Up Citrus]

The arrows do nothing. The best you can hope for is to splinter its bark with a VERY well placed shot. Simultaneously only a single zombie breaks free after a long struggle, advances about 20 ft. and gets grappled again by vines.

You can either enter on the Entangle or Drastia dismisses it and you deal with the zombies normally. The Grimstalker is dead but the brownies could still set up a trap.

Drastia Dismissed the Entanglement "Time to make mulch." and moves next to her allies.

Spoiler

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Drastia moves to J2.

[Spore]

The zombies don't realize immediately they are freed. As they shamble towards you, you prepare for a somewhat anticlimactic battle. You however realize the brownies might have warped the contraptions inside into killing machines as well, so you need to shoo those away and destroy the machines or at least have someone guard the tent.

The zombies are no threat to you anymore if you fight somewhat intelligently. I'll make this combat a skill challenge to somewhat speed it up. You have to overcome 6 zombies, get inside, remove 2 Yellow Musk Creepers and then disable the tent functions.

If you decide to fight the zombies, you need a defensive measure (such as tripping, a spell, or just ranged attacks that work) and an offensive measure (an attack that does deal good damage). If you lack either, you are dealt 1d4 damage (for not investing ressources or fighting overly offensive).

[Chromascope3D]

As Drastia dismisses the vines, Clover rushes in with song and steel, enchanting his blade to make it light as wind as he goes to work upon the zombies. He ducks in and out between sword swings, narrowly avoiding their clumsy strikes. He then draws his bow, and enters the tent, cautiously, to find the source.

Spoiler: OOC

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Clover's longsword does 1d8+10 slashing damage when power attacking, two handing, and raging, so he's going to augment this with Allegro, giving him a mini Haste as long as he performs a raging song.

[Triskavanski]

Therin himself goes into help trying to take down the foes with the others, as he moves at tripping them. "If only we had blades or fire these things don't seem to take much.

Spoiler: OOC

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Trip attempts (1d20+9)[20] +3 for flanking +2 for dirty fighting if flanking

[Spore]

As you fight your way through the zombies, you hear faint giggling and movement in the corners of your eyes. One you can ALMOST see something but you're not quite fast enough.

Kouran, Therin:

As you move towards the Musk Creeper growing out of the side of the machine used to make chaff for the bedding of houses and similar, the tub of the machine is filled with humanoid parts and lots of blood. Two brownies try to shove you both into the tub.

Spoiler: Mechanics:

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Maneuvers: Kouran (1d20-2)[4], Therin (1d20-2)[5]
Failure means rolling a DC 15 Reflex or take (2d6)[10] each round.

Drastia:
Another creeper waits for you next to the wine press which has grabbed your attention from a purely professional standpoint from the get-go. Now may not be the time to admire it but you know where the wine press is for later. As you expect earth spirits behind all that, you did not anticipate them simply widening the hole in and covering up the hole.

Spoiler: Mechanics:

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DC 14 Reflex or drop into a vat of boiling hot wine. Take 3 fire damage and DC 14 Fort or be sickened (read: drunk) for the next (1d4)[1] hours.

Clover:
As you rightfully anticipate tomfoolishery (and also a trap) next to the stapler in the middle of the tent, you also avoid the instrument called blade of doom via a tiny sign post written in human blood (which was actually a giant wood plough), you investigate the tent exit next to the peeler. The trees inside this contraption are fixated with blades, one of which is on your side and attacks you.

Spoiler: Mechanics:

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Just a simple blade slash (1d20+20)[39]
(1d8)[5]

[Wind-Up Citrus]

Before Drastia knew what was happening she was dunked into a vat of hotly brewed alcohol. Sight is off. Everything bubbly. Bad plant. Zap.

Spoiler

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Drastia casts Lightning Arc at G 16 Musk Creeper
1d20+0 ranged touch attack = (18)+3 = 21
1d6+2 lightning arc damage = (2) = 4

[Chromascope3D]

"Ah, shoot," Clover cursed, reaching down to feel yet another gash in his side. And he'd felt so clever avoiding that big blade as well. These things seem to think of everything, don't they? He turned to his left, to see another brownie advancing toward him hungrily. Well, there didn't seem to be any survivors, tragically, but that also meant that he no longer had to be cautious. The faun steps back, mirroring the brownie's pace, and grins, noticing the straw covering the floor, thinking, Probably didn't think of this one.

Clover presses his fingers together, and calls out, "Well, see ya!"

...and snaps, sending a spark shooting from his fingertips to the padding before the faerie.

Spoiler: OOC

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Gonna move to N9 and cast Spark on an unattended piece of straw in Q10

[Athaleon]

"Nasty buggers," Kouran swore as he counterattacked, trying to gain an advantage on the elusive foe by getting around behind one.

Spoiler

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Attempt to move to F7 using Acrobatics to avoid AoO:
(1d20+6)[13]

Attack: (1d20+13)[27] with Flanking
Damage: (1d6+10)[11]

[Triskavanski]

Therin moves in to step away from the death trap and strike at the bugger.

Spoiler

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(1d20+7)[19]
(1d6+2)[7]


attacking the one at E7 while moving to E8

[Spore]

As Drastia zaps the Creeper, she overstays her welcome and gets hit by the plant for 5 damage as it tries to bore its tendrils through her head and into her brain. The brownie behind her however uses that grapple to strike a vital spot on the druid for another 8 damage. The strenous activities have taken a toll on the elf druid as she falls almost. The Creeper starts to slowly entangle Drastia head-first.

Kouran on the other side stumbles over a bit of wood and gets whipped by the plant for 7 damage. Therin takes the brunt of the damage (15) from the combined onslaught of the creeper and the brownie.

Clover's opponent flees in panic from the fire.

[Wind-Up Citrus]

"Friends help!" Drastia says in slurred as she takes a few steps forward, what steps she can take from a day of being bored into, shot and hacked Kouran I require your aidddd.... Drastia remembers through her drunken state the one thing all plants fear, the primal consequence of the woods, Fire. She casts Produce Flame, holding the fire in her hands like a good luck charm to discourage the Musk Creeper from turning her into a mindless puppet. "S-stay back, I, I'm warning you.." she says in a way even she cannot believe.

Spoiler

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Drastia moves to G 14
Drastia casts Produce Flame
1d20-1 bluff the plant = (5)-1 = 4

[Chromascope3D]

Clover's ears perked up at that It certainly wasn't a good sound; calls for help rarely are. And the straw was certainly going up much faster than he had anticipated. Yes, certainly, it was time to skedaddle.

"Coming!" he called, putting away his bow. He drew his sword as he ran to aid, leaping over the brownie's blade and physically placing himself between it and Drastia.

Spoiler: OOC

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Clover's gonna take amove action to put away his bow, and combine drawing his sword with a move action to H14.

Acrobatics to pass through I14
(1d20+12)[15]

[Athaleon]

Things had gone from fine to ****ed in an instant. With Drastia and Therin both hard-pressed, Kouran had to make a split-decision on who to help and how. He paused for a moment to heal Therin before moving to help Drastia.

Spoiler

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Lay on Hands on Therin for (2d6)[4]

Gonna try Acrobatics again to move towards Drastia as shown on the map.
(1d20+6)[13]

[Triskavanski]

Therin stood dazed for a moment before being refreshed with renewed vigor. He dashed after the rest of the party, withdrawing from the danger for now. "New plan.. we need to break the stick."

[Spore]

As you dash together, the fey spirits are in pursuit to you. The southeastern brownie lashes out at Clover who skillfully parries each attack. The plant - denied of its meal follows sees Clover as a threat and attacks him with a pollen attack. The satyr dodges nimbly. After that the creeper closes in. Drastia however faints by virtue of the strenous spell she cast. (-1 HP, so unconscious) Due east, the fire eats up the straw trail and quickly comes for you. You can hear an angry roar of flames and you are surprised no small explosions have happened yet.

As you call for the twig, you remember it was on Drastia. Her clothes don't cover much, so it has to be somewhere in her robes.

-> What do you do?
Searching Drastia for the twig is a move action that triggers an AoO.
The twig if broken pulls you into the fey realm. Willing creatures only but it all happens at the same time. (So if someone breaks the twig, the rest can take their turn/RP freely in a semi-comfortable wood realm).
Fighting off the creatures is entirely a possibility right now.
Keep in mind the plant is focussed on Drastia and is trying to go for her brains next turn.
Healing Drastia also heals her nonlethal damage, effectively doubling the effect of said heal.

[Chromascope3D]

"OI!" Clover shouts as Drastia faints. He chops at the plant's vines as they greedily encroach upon the druid's skull, "Not to MY friends you don't!"

Sensing another attack from the brownie, he brings his blade around to deflect another thrust. Pointing the tip in the direction of the oncoming flames, he looks the faerie dead in the eye and mutters, "Oi, love, you might wanna start running, yeah? I know how much your kind tend to melt."

Spoiler: OOC

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Gonna attack the plant.
(1d20+8)[23]
(1d8+4)[9]

[Spore]

Clover slashes off the tendrils grasping towards Drastia, deterring it further from infecting the elf. You took away a good chunk of about half of the plant with your precise cut.

[Athaleon]

Kouran quickly knelt down to revive Drastia, fending off the brownies as they pressed in behind them.

Spoiler

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Lay on Hands: (2d6)[9]

[Spore]

Drastia, as you open your eyes you see the blink of swirling steel removing vines from your sight and the concerned face of Kouran, extending his hand shining a warming light onto your cold and numb body.

Per rules, you heal both 9 lethal and 9 nonlethal damage.

[Wind-Up Citrus]

Drastia upon waking up to seeing her friends and that Damn plant in front of her, casts Barkskin on herself.

Spoiler

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Drastia casts Barksin
+3 AC

Drastia now has 16 AC
d20+8 Cast Defensively DC 17 = (5)+8 = 13

[Triskavanski]

Therin sees they're getting stuck between a rock and a hard place and hopes they can do something to escape, for now he smacks the brownie.

Spoiler

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Turning on Combat expertise for -2 to AB and +2 to AR bringing me to 19 ac.
(1d20+5)[13]
(1d6+3)[6]

[Spore]

As the fire quickly encroaches on your position, the first plant starts to burn. Clover's opponent sees the fire in the east and starts panicking and runs away (Clover got an AoO). Sensing the heat, the other creeper ready to attack Drastia also slowly creeps out of there (Clover got another AoO). Meanwhile Kouran's opponent sees an opening trying to attack the paladin's leg artery and goes for a stab. The nimble knight however simply sidesteps and punts the small bugger, which manages to prick his shin (1 piercing, 2 cold damage). Therin's enemy easily dodges the defensive warrior's attack and retreats in a bit more orderly manner sensing the heat of the fire (no AoO).