The Gargoyle's Nest CTD
THE GOOD NEWS IS THIS:
The Gargoyles that dwell within this fallen Eaglerin (read Khazadi) settlement are peaceful. They've invited you to come and help them deal with their plant-monster infestation.
The first wave of adventurers cleared out the entry area of the aerie, a pair of balconies leading into a large room. The other entrances to this place appear to've been closed off.
You can see the remains of the deceased, rotting plant monsters that were slain earlier.
Raethon takes a deep breath as he looks at the plant monsters that are dead and rotting. "Take a good look everyone. There's more down there.....and we're here to get rid of them.
Kisaiya is wearing her dress, a frown, and she looks over to see the plant monsters. A muttering, "I blame the gardener." Then she turns her head and looks about at the others before looking back down at the plant monsters once more. A sigh, and then she pulls out her scythe with some measure of reluctance.
Elisabeth, when asked for help by those seeking to defend their home from invasion... answers the call, of course. "What's known of these plant-things?", she asks of no one in particular.
"The ones we fought had long vines - like the tentacles of some beast, they can grasp you and hold you immobile." Garak remarks. He tugs his thick gloves snug over his fingers, checks that his tabbard and holy symbol are in place and generally makes himself presentable. He places a small monacle over one eye and then adjusts it. The last thing he does is loosed a long curved fighting sword in it's sheath across his back - almost an oversized machete, it should be great for chopping into vegetation. "Keeping them at a distance will be hard indoors, so if you must call upon your gods for blessings, best to do so now."
GAME: Garak refreshes spells.
Kira would never turn down anyone asking for help, so of course she came. Her smile firms as she looks at the overgrowth and the remnants of stuff that was already ... pruned. "Does anyone know why they're growing all over everything?"
Kisaiya cants her head, looking to Garak, "Sounds like a bad date."
Raethon says, "I do not know, Kira. They seem like some of the vegetation from Am'shere, but these are very very hostile"
Kira nods to Raethon and Garak. "Maybe, if we're lucky, the plants will keep their distance." It's always good to have hope. "Though it sounds like they're very dangerous, so best to be careful." She walks for the cleared opening, calling out, "Hello?" It's a home, so it's only polite to let them know they're there.
No one answers. The actually sapient monsters that live here are, after all, hanging out back at Alexandraia... so far as you know, anyway.
Garak gives Kira an indulgent look. After watching the opening for a bit, he turns to her. "Satisfied? Come to think of it, they didn't seem to communicate in any language I could hear. Perhaps they are mindless. All the more reason to burn them out."
Raethon says, "We shall see. but if they attack, I will defend myself....such as I did last time....."
Kira looks over and her smile broadens again. "It would be easier if they could understand, and could talk with us, but I just wanted to let the residents know we're here, if any of them are." Her smile dims at Raethon, but she nods again. "I hope we don't have to burn anything out, but we'll defend ourselves."
Raethon looks to Kira. "Considering that I'm an abjurer, I actually like diplomacy. Sadly, the last time I was here...I was grabbed immediately. No chance to talk."
Garak nods. He moves forward, his falchion drawn and ready. "I remember - and it looked like normal vegetation, still and inert, the kind that wouldn't draw a second glance. No sign anthing was amiss until it came alive and attacked." Then he heads for the entrance.
"Sounds like the same stuff in Alexandria and what not... just bigger." Kisaiya looks about, checking over her scythe, and then toward the others before she too starts toward the exit to follow along with Garak. A hum on her lips.
GAME: Kisaiya rolls perception: (13)+7: 20
GAME: Raethon rolls perception: (12)+14: 26
GAME: Garak rolls perception: (13)+17: 30
GAME: Kira rolls perception: (2)+18: 20
Immediately, you can see that this area is intended for general living. As you reach the bototm of the steps, you seem numerous roosts where Gargoyles would attach themselves to the ceiling, or to ledges. Most of them have been carved into cruimbly walls, though they are now heavily obscured with vines.
The plants are still growing, too. That much becomes obvious your eyes. Something is causing the growth to continue, and rapidly. AS you move deeper in, you can feel the ground squishing beneath your feet. Soggy, moist foliage. It's unpleasent.
Raethon pokes at the ground under his feet. "this.....might be why they're so hostile......"
As the ground gets squishy... Kisaiya starts jumping on it. A number of times. Because, well, it's really hard to say why. She just does. She doesn't always have a good reason, okay?!
Kira looks down at her squishing steps. "Why is it so wet in here? They wouldn't get rain inside, would they?" She's a little concerned, and not just about getting her feet wet. She steps more carefully.
"I wonder..." Garak begins. "Would the Gargoyles mind if we burned the interior of their lair? It's already lost to them, right?" He tilts his head up and then turns it, to examine the walls and the ceiling. "It's mostly stone..."
Raethon says, "I think the gargoyles want to come back and live here, if possible."
"Right, but if we burn it, it's stone. Not going to really break it, you know?" Kisa frowns then shrugs her shoulders, "But, you're probably right. Probably better to kill it, then bring in some defoliaters." A couple more nods, and she jumps on the squishy vines some more.
"Maybe if we brought some rakes and brooms?" Kira asks aloud. "It would be safer than fire. We don't want to burn everything down."
Hun'rar has been quietly following along, wary of more dangerous plants after the last expedition here. "The water is probably what feeds the plants, shouldn't grow on stone should they?" he finaly adds, deciding to speak up.
And that's when you all feel it.
Teh ground beneath your feet shifts, ripples.
Something is mooooving.
Raethon lifts off of the floor. "Grass can grow on stone....and moss can too, but this......this is may be something that's drawing it's own water.
Kira nods. "Yes, but where is the water from-Oh!" Kira wobbles as the not-stone they're walking on moves. She steps back some, towards a wall. She didn't mean to step on any...one?
"That's not really how it works. It still needs something on top of the stone to grow, or inbetween the stone. Moss can though... I think." Kisaiya frowns and starts looking up and to the side with a hand perched on her hip as the other holds the scythe. She blinks, and then finally shrugs, "Pretty su-WOH." And she feels it moving.
GAME: Raethon refreshes spells.
GAME: Raethon casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 10 DC: 17
GAME: Raethon casts Overland Flight. Caster Level: 10 DC: 21
The ground is definiutely shifting now, starting to rock openly. Vines begin to burst through the spongy floor.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Whirlpool has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Whirlpool to instruct you further.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
GAME: You roll initiative: 9 + 6 = 15
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 25.
It is now Raethon's turn! Garak is next!
GAME: Raethon casts Greater Flaming Sphere. Caster Level: 10 DC: 20
GAME: Raethon rolls 6d6: (17): 17
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 18.
It is now Garak's turn! Undercover Plant Monster is next!
GAME: Garak casts Freedom of Movement. Caster Level: 10 DC: 18
being off the ground has it serious advantages, so Rae puts down a rather hot flaming sphere on the ground....to make sure the plant burns.......
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 15.
It is now Undercover Plant Monster's turn! Kisaiya is next!
Garak for all his overcautious pre-emptive plant trimming earlier, apparently lets his guard down at the worst possible time and walks with the party into another batch of plants. Murmuring under his breath for Serriel to 'let him slip free from anything that would impede her servant', Garak raises his blade in a ready position.
Immediately in response to the flames, the ground seems two twist and shudder. More vines burst through it, choking progress for all but those who are 1) flying or 2) cheating with magic.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 15.
It is now Kisaiya's turn! Magnus is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed ended.
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA 1: aliased to 18: (10)+18: 28
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA D: aliased to 2d4+18: (4)+18: 22
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 13.
It is now Magnus' turn! Kira is next!
GAME: Magnus rolls knowledge/nature: (10)+11: 21
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+9: (8)+9: 17
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+4: (11)+4: 15
Kisaiya holds the scythe low, her head canting and she moves in quickly toward the vines shooting from the ground, "Well! I can't blame the gardener this time /I guess/." She sounds a little pained to say that as her scythe bites into the vine with the blade.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 10.
It is now Kira's turn! Hun'rar is next!
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d8+5: (2)+5: 7
Magnus steps back in surprise, and lets loose a volley of arrows. Two clatter on the ground, while one sinks in. It doesn't staple it to anything, though, and it's still moving in uncomfortable ways.
Kira was told that the vines popped up and grabbed people suddenly, before. She doesn't want that to happen, and offers a helpful, if late, "Watch out!" even as she grabs for one of the vines before it grabs someone else.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 8.
It is now Hun'rar's turn! Raethon is next!
GAME: Hun'rar rolls weapon10: (2)+11: 13
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 25.
It is now Raethon's turn! Garak is next!
Hun'rar raises his shield and strikes at the vines with his sword, the blade of which is wreathed in pale purple flame. Alas it fails to find purchase on his first swing but he does what he can to be a big target.
GAME: Raethon rolls 6d6: (18): 18
GAME: Raethon casts Haste. Caster Level: 10 DC: 19
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 18.
It is now Garak's turn! Undercover Plant Monster is next!
Moving the sphere over to help someone by burning a vine, Rae stays in the air to give everyone the benefit of sped up time. Or, at least, make his allies faster....not the vines.
GAME: Garak rolls weapon13+1-2: (4)+11+1+-2: 14
GAME: Garak rolls weapon13+1-2-5: (7)+11+1+-2+-5: 12
GAME: Garak rolls weapon13+1-2: (17)+11+1+-2: 27
GAME: Garak rolls weapon13+1-2: (10)+11+1+-2: 20
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 15.
It is now Undercover Plant Monster's turn! Kisaiya is next!
GAME: Garak rolls 2d4+15: (5)+15: 20
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+21: (16)+21: 37
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+21: (20)+21: 41
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+21: (12)+21: 33
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 6d8+20: (33)+20: 53
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 3d8+10: (20)+10: 30
The vines.
More of them are erupting from the ground. More and more of them. There's so many now!, reaching, stretching, grasping.
And then with a powerful ripple, they begin to move, grasping and swinging and slamming into the earth. Kisaiya gets hit by one, slamming into her back and staggering her with a brutal, powerful blow from which more than a few of her ribs crack while Garak is slammed into the earth once by another.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 15.
It is now Kisaiya's turn! Magnus is next!
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA 1: aliased to 18: (7)+18: 25
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA 1: aliased to 18: (20)+18: 38
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA 2: aliased to 13: (10)+13: 23
Garak hews at the vines, but even with the ferocious chopping power of his falchion he can barely slice a few of them. The majority of his blows simply swat the plants aside, and they immediately recover to threaten the party once more.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 13.
It is now Magnus' turn! Kira is next!
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+10: (17)+10: 27
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d20+5: (17)+5: 22
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA D: aliased to 2d4+18: (6)+18: 24
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA D: aliased to 2d4+18: (3)+18: 21
GAME: Magnus rolls 1d8+9: (5)+9: 14
Magnus keeps stepping backwards, and fires another volley of arrows. Another one hit solidly, too!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 10.
It is now Kira's turn! Hun'rar is next!
The hit slams her and she does stagger. Surprisingly, the dress is unphased by this (or perhaps unsurprisingly?), either way... she groans out as she leans heavily, favoring one leg at the moment. She lets out a noise a bit pained, and almost like a whine, but less human and more animal. Pain that she tries to shrug back. "Oh Gods." She says, she still holds her Scythe, though her hands shake as she swings for the first cut. It goes wide and she plants her foot, letting the haft travel about her, using her hips to press the attack in as she pulls back hard with a hand to cut deeply into the vine. It probably would've been quite deadly on some other creature.
That motion though throws her off, the pain welling up into her hip she pulled the wood handle to, and the next strike again goes wide with a twitch at her eye, Kisaiya calls out, "That... Really hurt!"
GAME: Kira spends ONE point of KI POOL.
GAME: Kira spends ONE use of LAY ON HANDS.
GAME: Kira rolls 6d6: (23): 23
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 8.
It is now Hun'rar's turn! Raethon is next!
GAME: Hun'rar rolls weapon10+1: (4)+11+1: 16
GAME: Hun'rar rolls weapon10+1: (12)+11+1: 24
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 25.
It is now Raethon's turn! Garak is next!
"Oh no!" Kira sees the others get smacked. She isn't really keeping the vine from doing things. Especially not growing, since it's doing alot of that. So she lets it go to make her way with rapid squishy steps to Kisaiya's side. "Healer's Grace be upon you." Calling just that to her, she places a healing hand on Kisaiya to ease her pain.
GAME: Raethon rolls 6d6: (25): 25
GAME: Raethon rolls ranged+1: (1)+8+1: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
Hun'rar continues to try and battle the vines but his sword is not able to find purchase on the living plant. Still, it is not for lack of trying as his burning blade is swung again and again.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 18.
It is now Garak's turn! Undercover Plant Monster is next!
Rae stays in the air and keeps making his sphere burn into the ground. However, he points his fingers at the ground to puts some acid there too. But...the acid sprays out at a right angle and.....hits a wall. "How in the hell does that happen?"
GAME: Garak rolls 5d6: (13): 13
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 15.
It is now Undercover Plant Monster's turn! Kisaiya is next!
GAME: Garak rolls will: (9)+11: 20
The vines keep waving, but for the moment, there are no actual further attacks by themn. The ground r ipples again and now there are a grand total of /eight/ of them emerged from the earth.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 15.
It is now Kisaiya's turn! Magnus is next!
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA 1: aliased to 18: (20)+18: 38
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA 1: aliased to 18: (17)+18: 35
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA 2: aliased to 13: (15)+13: 28
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA D: aliased to 2d4+18: (6)+18: 24
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA D: aliased to 2d4+18: (6)+18: 24
GAME: Kisaiya rolls ScythePA D: aliased to 2d4+18: (6)+18: 24
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 13.
It is now Magnus' turn! Kira is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+11: (14)+11: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+6: (15)+6: 21
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 10.
It is now Kira's turn! Hun'rar is next!
GAME: Kira rolls 6d6: (19): 19
Garak stumbles back from the battering. He raises his holy symbol and a wave of healing energy - no, wait, line - connects himself and Kisaiya.
Kira slogs her way across and through the vines to get to Garak. Nothing wrong with a little more divine help to add to his, so she grants him some of Althea's Grace, too.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 8.
It is now Hun'rar's turn! Raethon is next!
GAME: Hun'rar rolls weapon10+1: (7)+11+1: 19
GAME: Hun'rar rolls weapon10+1: (14)+11+1: 26
GAME: Hun'rar rolls 1d10+9: (2)+9: 11
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 25.
It is now Raethon's turn! Garak is next!