Serpent's Skull: City of Seven Spears [IC]

[BuckGodot]

Severity roll: (1d20)[11]

Bonus Damage: (2d6)[4]

[lostsole31]

R7T26: Book continues his onslaught with his whip from the creature's flank, flaying it along the ribs and back for 29, killing it instantly.

Blue bleeds out only three rounds later.

Combat Ends!

[silphael]

Xhanfaerd looks around.

"I say we recover, then we keep going ? How is everybody ?"

[BuckGodot]

Book will apply his Wand of CLW as needed before ensuring his sidearm is fully loaded and clean. Then indicate his readiness to proceed.

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo grimaces at the blood and Girallon saliva dirtying his clothing.
“Ugh!”
He searches out Aron for some healing before cleaning up the best he can.
He spies Shersheelda and gives her a shrug and a smirk before strolling off tossing his dagger into the air.

[lostsole31]

"Well, we are recording not just Saventh-Yhi, but its current occupants," says Aron after healing Fronaldo fully. "Book and Gelik can continue looking at the very near ruins. Meanwhile, Xhanfaerd? You and I will take careful naturalist sketchings and notes of our girallon attackers - height, estimated weight, foot shape for tracking, bite castings, etc. Then, we'll take that back and end for the day."

The day passes, and the group packs up and heads back to the main Pathfinder encampment to give Amivor the daily findings.

That evening, Xhanfaerd works on his own, devising blocks of ruins and vines to configure weights as best he can for strength training. Gelik talks logistics with the quartermaster. Fronaldo focuses on alchemical R&D, seeing if anything he took from the bodies of the girallons might be useful to him. Book and Sersheelda discuss observed geography of Saventh-Yhi with Amivor.

True to Longmoon, there is a party in the encampment as they celebrate by staying up to greet the dawn. It is a particularly important time for Aron, who gets her power from the moon. On the other hand, Sersheelda never heard of this silliness, and sleeps.

[lostsole31]

Starday, 21 Abadius 4711 AR (Waning Gibbous)

The next day .... the group continues exploration in Tazion, slowly working south and east. It is slow going as Book wants to check out the buildings, not just pass them. But this is what separates a careful archaeological expedition from "dungeon exploration" with a specific maguffin in mind. They still hoots, hollers, and noises ... but stay clear of confrontation at this time.

Then, the party returns at the end of the day and makes notes applicable to each of their specialities.

This is pretty much the regimen that each day will take - including a break midday for respose from the sun - barring an exceptional find or encounters.

After work and dinner, Aron and Book will work with the other PCs, Amivor, and some select Pathfinders on area avoidance. Aron specializes in teaching simple dance maneuvers that translate to rolls and turns and pullbacks, whereas Book specializes in avoiding common traps.

[lostsole31]

Sunday, 22 Abadius 4711 AR (Waning Gibbous)

Group explores north from last point, and then east. With the saturation of old buildings, jungle mists, mid-day heavy rains, and the like, visibility isn't what it was, but the group's exploration is steady with progress nonetheless.

By today, Aron has properly trained Veress with basic attack commands for semi-normal combatants, but not yet for anything too weird.

That evening, Aron will give a lecture on jungle flora and fauna, which Sersheelda, Fronaldo, Amivor, and several Pathfinders are sure to attend.

[lostsole31]

Moonday, 23 Abadius 4711 AR (Waning Gibbous)

The vanguard picks up their "trail" from yesterday and then explore a wide swath moving northwards, which includes being sure of the northern limits of the ruins and even into the jungle. At this yard, the group would have to continue southwest from mid-section of the buildings, it seems, to follow the line of buildings deeper into the ruins that are "connected," though it is true it is not known if something more could be found through the jungles to the north and east on the morrow.

Amivor will work privately with Book on secret defensive exploratory techniques as a Pathfinder delver. Aron and Harrim train under Gelik, learning some gnomish health secrets.

[lostsole31]

Toilday, 24 Abadius 4711 AR (Waning Gibbous)

Book guides the group east, and then south, over their day of exploration.

After giving the nightly report and dinner, Gelik goads Aron into an argument for argument's sake, which Amivor is unwittingly drawn into as well, much to the overall entertainment of the Pathfinders. Book works privately on his gun combat training, as others likewise work on personal interests.

[lostsole31]

Wealday, 25 Abadius 4711 AR (Last Quarter)

The heroes moves south two units today. Book and Sersheelda receive stealth training from Fronaldo, as Amivor, Xhanfaerd and Aron act as the wolves in rabbit games against them.

[lostsole31]

Oathday, 26 Abadius 4711 AR (Last Quarter)

Today's exploration moves south first, and then east.

Book, what directions are next?

[BuckGodot]

Realising he may have missed a section, Book offers apologies to the group. Then says that the plan is to go SW and investigate the buildings there before moving east.

[Blackhawk101]

The initial excitement of exploring the somehow not ancient ruins has worn off and the diminutive green goblin is growing increasingly bored. As empty ruins slide past as they explore with painful tedious monotonous care, he becomes lost in alchemical theory as he ponders new ways to combine and intensify poisons.
In the evening, Fronaldo will begin to study Issilar’s spell book, working on adding a spell called Protection from Energy to his formula book.

[lostsole31]

Fireday, 27 Abadius 4711 AR (Last Quarter)

Book guides the group as above, definitely striking into a new buildings, but still there is .... something ... about the buildings that seem to provide a unified concept. Still, where this general area seems like it was once mercantile, Book and Gelik seem to translate materials from what was once a fighting school. The information they uncover is fascinating and of special note to Xhanfaerd, Book, and Gelik regarding ancient fighting styles, and later that evening is of great interest to Amivor as well.

If Fronaldo mentions he doesn't think the buildings are that ancient, Gelik (to annoying detail) can probably tell him that ancient, powerful, preservative magics kept the ruins in relatively good shape, for Saventh-Yhi is about 10,000 years old.

That night, Fronaldo realizes he can only do though concepts on protection from energy, as he needs special transcription materials before he can take notes to translate arcane to alchemical. Still, he takes time attempting to mentally crack the code of the arcane spell.

Book, what is the plan for the morrow?

[BuckGodot]

While the new section to the south looks desperately inviting, he decides to stick to his plan and head north two squares.

[lostsole31]

Starday, 28 Abadius 4711 AR (Waning Crescent)

Book guides the group two units north this time.

That night, Gelik spends a significant amount of time writing his own version of the exploration thus far, hoping to get his own Pathfinder chapbook published when this is all over.

What's next?

[BuckGodot]

The next day Book will direct everyone north and then east.

[lostsole31]

Sunday, 29 Abadius 4711 AR (Waning Crescent)

Harrim will stay behind to perform a non-denominational service and to see to the spiritual needs of the encampment.

I fear that one of the things I don't make clear in my narration, gentle reader, is that you have the impression that you are wandering these ruins in complete loneliness in the muted quiet of ruins. This is not so, for Saventh-Yhi is less of a "complete ruins" and is more of a "ruined city." For it hosts much life, and there is much noise of monstrous and inhuman types that call throughout. One of the reasons exploration takes so long ... beyond the rigors of proper archaeological exploration ... is that it is assumed that your little group does note several larger bands of creatures moving through that in no way would you want to interact with in a random nature, so that you move carefully along on your exploration.

Unfortunately or fortunately, other than the girallons a week ago, you've managed to elude any one of the many bands of monsters that you don't want to tangle with unnecessarily. Still, there is a certain level of complacency that can be bred. And where even Xhanfaerd is very careful of step, both bards make a little more noise than is prudent.

And that is when the group is accosted by a lone girallon.

Begin Round One ...

R1T20: Book, what do you do? You have no weapons in hand. You might have tools or journal or something else easily dropped, but nothing offensive.

[BuckGodot]

Spoiler: Book>>>Collective

Show

"Draw it this way and I'll attempt to circle around and flank it!"

Book dashes to the west and then heads north in an attempt to navigate around the buildings and somehow come back to flank the creature.

Spoiler

Show

Dropping whatever he is holding and drawing his whip.
MA: 2 squares west and as far north as he can get looking for a way east (Off the map so I can't say how far I can go.)

[lostsole31]

R1T20:

Spoiler: Book >>> Collective

Show

"Draw it this way and I'll attempt to circle around and flank it!"

Book dashes to the west and then heads, finds he is blocked if he goes north, so goes south in an attempt to navigate around the buildings and somehow come back to flank the creature.

R1T19: Gelik, what do you do? You are finding an uncomfortable lack of meat shields between you and the girallon!

[Master K]

Gelik Swallows hard and raises his hands slowly in what he hopes is a nonthreatening manner while casting Charm Monster on the Girallon. "Easy there, we mean you no harm. If you just move along, we will be on our way shortly" slowly Gelik backs away taking a 5 ft step to the NW, never taking his eyes off the girallon.

Spoiler: Gelik>>>Collective

Show

"Don't attack it yet, let it make the first move, with any luck it will leave us be as long as we don't provoke it further."

Spoiler: Crunchy stuff

Show

SA; Cast Charm Monster on Girallon
FA; Speak
FA; speak through collective
FA; 5ft step NW subtly/no so subtly putting Aron between him and the Girallon

[lostsole31]

R1T19: Gelik swallows hard and raises his hands slowly in what he hopes is a nonthreatening manner .... only to completely ruin that by then speaking in a strange language in a clear strong voice and breaking his nonthreatening demeanor with strange arm movements as he casts a spell with an unseen effect on the Girallon. "Easy there, we mean you no harm. If you just move along, we will be on our way shortly," says Gelik as he backs away, taking a 5 ft step to the NW while never taking his eyes off the girallon.

Spoiler: Gelik >>> Collective

Show

"Don't attack it yet, let it make the first move, with any luck it will leave us be as long as we don't provoke it further."

R1T18: Aron very slowly takes out her flute, seemingly prepared to play, but not yet.

Spoiler: Aron >>> Collective

Show

"Right. I see chivalry is dead in gnomes."

"Veress, down."

R1T17: Veress obeys, delaying ...

R1T14: Fronaldo, what do you do?

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo skips forward just ahead of Aron, winking at her as he goes past. He pulls his favorite dagger from his bandolier as he moves. Once in position, the green goblin creates a vile looking orange concoction in a non-threatening manner.

Spoiler: crunch

Show

MA: move East 30’ drawing magic dagger as he does.
SA: prepare Archanotoxin (Strength). Fort DC 18, Freq=4 rnds, 2 consecutive saves.

[lostsole31]

R1T14: Fronaldo skips forward just ahead of Aron, winking at her as he goes past. He pulls his favorite dagger from his bandolier as he moves. Once in position, the green goblin creates a vile looking orange concoction in a hopefully non-threatening manner.

R1T10: The girallon leaves, six-limbing it casually into the jungle.

Encounter Ends ...

Unless, of course, anyone wants to give chase.

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo’s sighs and carefully removes the archanotoxin from his blade once it is inert.

[lostsole31]

From where the team began today, it seemed there was a rivening in the earth down which there was a thin brook of water. Once the party finishes going north and east, they see very obviously emplaced areas for water, almost like a reservoir or something, to the east and south which might require more inspection on the morrow. To the north the party has moved away from cramped ruins, though that doesn't mean that nothing lies northwards.

The party returns with the days' results.

Aron finishes her training with Veress, having taught the tiger to overcome its revulsion of strange targets to attack whatever she might designate. Meanwhile, Xhanfaerd holds combat training for everyone else.

Fronaldo, Book is trying to ameliorate whatever hostility you seem to have with him by training you in more advanced archaeological techniques. What two squares of an exploration path do you recommend for the party on the morrow?

[Blackhawk101]

Fronaldo is happy to be included in the archeological exploration. Two squares East or so following the road.

[lostsole31]

Moonday, 30 Abadius 4711 AR (Waning Crescent)

Today, Fronaldo guides the group back out of the rough to the road, and even checks out part of the long canal-reservoirs while getting the group onto a main road to use as a marker. There's a thinner, longer spur of some canal at the end of the day, and even ancient, long stairs to the north.

Definitely more interesting structures than just more old buildings (though those, from an archaeological standpoint, are still fine to study), and a report is given to Amivor, as usual.

That evening, Book will tutor Amivor, Aron, Gelik & Xhanfaerd in how to psych out an enemy to take the fight out of them before it begins.

Fronaldo,, what direction do you recommend on the morrow?

[Blackhawk101]

The next day Fronaldo guides the party North to the ancient stairs and if viable, down them into their unknown depths…