Glutton Mutton, part 3
Log Info
- Title: Glutton Mutton, part 3
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Jaen (Bbn3)* Pasithea (Sor2)* Thurid (Clr3) Glasha (Wiz4)* Havi (Dru2)* Tenoc (Mnk2/Rgr3)
- Place: H07: Kultari Road Outside Vadran Village
- Time: Saturday, December 05, 2020, 1:50 PM
- Summary: The Infernal Sheep have been slaughtered, but the heather covered hill remains. The party explores upwards, discovering what seem to be stretch marks on the world. Pondering what weird things might be pushing through from some other plane, they continue to the top, discovering two cocentric magic circles, with the outer one destroyed. In the centre, is the largest shard-stretchmark-thingy. Glasha suggests searching for the missing stones, and everyone attempts to do so. Tenoc finds something, a Sheep Demon on the other side of the Shard. The party continues to search as the demon enacts a ritual, sacrifices an ewe by throwing it through the portal, and then magic activates. The hill becomes covered in an otherworldly dome and the Sheep Demon emerges. Battle Ensues. Havi causes all the plants in the area to entangle, and that ends up hampering the party as well as the Demon. Tenoc lights up the Sheep Demon and Pasithea with his fire breath. Pasithea, sorceress out of spells, throws acid and fire. Thurid becomes even larger. The Sheep Demon bops Pasithea on the head and bo-peeps her into a sheep. Woolithea then begins to attack Tenoc. Glasha summons an Earth Elemental, throws magic missiles and acid while Thurid advances. The Jotun and Sith'Makar engage the Sheep Demon directly, with Tenoc almost being turned. He manages to disarm the Sheepherd, and as the Sheep Demon goes to pick up his crook, Thurid crushes him into paste. Battle complete, Glasha instructs that the crook be destroyed, the stones located again, and the containment ritual performed. With everone assisting, the second circle is restored and almost completely suppresses the Infernal gate. So much damage has been done to weaken the area, a third and much larger circle might be necessary. Contemplating this, the group returns to Alexandria to seek treatment for ailments.
-=--=--=--=--=--<* H07: Kultari Road Outside Vadran Village *>--=--=--=--=--=-
The meandering Kultari Road runs right past this small village. The village itself exists at a crossways, where Eldwyn Road and Kultari Road converge, before each wanders past and on its way. Logs surround the village Vadran in a carefully laid, though commoner's defense. During off times, children can be seen tumbling and balancing on the log surfaces, or chasing each other in games of tag. In look and form, Vadran could be any of the number of villages that dot the Alexandrian countryside.
Beyond the village is an expanse of farmland, country roads, and the occasional, wooded area. During the days, horses and mules can be seen, strapped to plows and other means of work and labor. During the weekends, the center of the village will be filled with social activity.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thurid 7'1" 249 Lb Giantborn Female Bright-eyed, muscular, blond Giantborn woman. Pasithea 3'2" 38 Lb Halfling Female Tall female lucht, willowy, Hair dark as night Havi 6'0" 180 Lb Human Male Seeker of Wisdom and Knowledge. Tenoc 7'0" 280 Lb Sith-Makar Male Tall, green-scaled Sith'Makar hunter Glasha 5'8" 100 Lb Half-Orc Female Green-skinned, young lady with bleached hair. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Sirs not Appearing, only watching -=-= Jaen 5'7" 130 Lb Wild Elf Male Wiry green-haired sylvanori in hide wrappings. Morgan 4'10" 79 Lb Half-Elf Female Short pixy like half elf with fair skin -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
It remains preternaturally quiet. An uneasy sensation lingers in the aftermath of the battle with the infernal sheep. Their rotting smells, their dark blood and yellowy infectious fluids mix and mat in their fur like some cruel oil painting. The wrongness enhanced by the strange things fruiting forth from their body. Burning them, seems the best plan.
Fire, while effective, increases the seeming taint of the area. A whiff of brimstone comes off each burning sheep, and the smoke seems clingy. There is no wind, but what few air currents there are invariably shift the trails towards the party members. Perhaps there is a gravity to good.
All that is left is to explore the top of the hill.
Thurid, once the healing is done, will take a moment to lean on the haft of her weapon and take stock of her allies- with her, Havi and Tennocs wounds mostly tended, they seem to be no worse for wear. Although the cleric is feeling a little light headed and weak limbed after her repeated perforations by the sheeps filths horns. Though closed up with the help of magic, the area around her wounds remain painfully swolen. Nevertheless, she casts hergaze towards the crest of the hill. "We should press onwards." she says to her companions, "If you've all caught your wind." she says, and prepares to do just that.
Sleepy Pasithea is out of mystic energies but still protected by her first cast spell. She holds tight to her spear and tries to keep with the others as well as keep awake. She nods slowly to Thurid's question and yawns right after. One guesses she's ready.
Havi had assisted in the healing processes and helped set fire to those infernal creatures. With his cold iron spear in hand, his attention shifts to Thurid and Pasithea. "Indeed. There is work left to be done, and we have rested enough." Havi was used to long hours of work, so he doesn't mind pushing onwards...but fatigue is likely to set in...
GAME: Havi rolls fortitude: (13)+4: 17 GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (10)+5: 15 GAME: Pasithea rolls perception: (7)+3: 10 GAME: Havi rolls Perception: (6)+8: 14
There is something anomalous. A jagged shard of sky that looks like a broken piece of stained glass. A translucent, pale red, a little darker and bloodier than pink. It doesn't seem solid, a stick or hand can easily pass through it. It's too small and smokey to really see through it too.'
The quiet is eerie, almost. Calm. Not the tranquil kind, but the calm that coems before the storm. Tenoc sniffs at the air haphazardly, a rumble sounding as he breathes with greater care. Even after a quick rubbing of the dead-sheep gore, burning the bodies in place did not seem wise, or practical.
Especially when the foulness only seemed to grow from where they were burned, spreading.
"Hssk," the Makar intones, dumping yet another infernal carcass upon the growing bonfire. "Much cleaning will be needed. Much cleansing." He shudders, tail rattling as it swirls. "Unwise to return to home as this. Dark things."
Thurid begins heading up the hill once the others are ready to follow suit, her hammer slung over her shoulder for easy transport as she trudges her way up the hill- and into the subtle breeze. A little ways up the hill, however, the jotunborn woman. pauses her steps, and narrows her eyes as she seems to catch sight of something. "There's something... here." she says, unhelpful as such a description might be. But she points it out so that the others might see it.
A shard of... something, at once there and not there- the reddish-pink of raw meat, almost opaque- but also ephemeral hangs in the sky where she points, looking like a shard of stained glass. "What might it be? Some sort of planar disturbance, perhaps? Or the remnant of some spell?" she wonders, though she doesn't seem particularly confident about that guess herself.
Scanning further up the hill, the anomalies get larger and more numerous. Their appearance does not change, they are always much longer than they are wide, jagged, hanging in empty space like a piece of shattered window. All are impossible to see through.
Pasothea stops when Thurid does and then leans her head back to peer through half-hooeded eyes at the... things? She turns her head one way and then the other trying to make sense of what she's seeing and then yawns, eyes closing breafly.
GAME: Thurid rolls weapon4: (18)+3: 21
Thurid pauses, and she leaves her hammer standing on its own for a moment, head in the dirt, and reaches down to pick up a rock as more and more of the shards appear. She slips the rock into the cup of the sling and then whirls it over her head a couple of times before loosing it at one of the shards- it passes through, unharmed, but also without doing any harm. "Whatever they are, they're not solid..." she says. She puts her sling back away and picks up her hammer again, "They almost look like stretch marks- like you may see on a pregnant belly." she observes.
Glasha looks curiously at the weird things in the sky. "On quickly developing muscles. On a girl's chest as she fills out. On pregnant bellies." She looks at the sky. "Does the world look like it's expanding or shrinking to anyone?"
The world is not visibly expanding, but now that possibility has been mentioned, the hill is odd. It seems very round, from the peak it would be possible to confirm, but it might be perfectly round. The way the heather is distributed on the slope, they are all in 'streams' with gaps between them as if they were pulled apart, and often cracks in the earth.
As if something is erupting beneath the ground, causing the mound to protrude, like a giant pimple.
GAME: Pasithea casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 2 DC: 14
The sleepy lucht sorcereress snorts awake and casts the simple cantrip to detect magic. She lets the spell sink into her being and allow her to see what lays beyond. Her tired eyes open slowly until they're wide open. "Not.. normal!" She says in an almost coversational volume.. nearly a yell for her. "They're.. they're sucking in magic! They glow..blackness."
Glasha looks around. She's not a naturist, but, "This hill doesn't look natural. Did the sheep come out of the ground? Should we get an anti-magic field in here? Suck it back? What do we do?" she asks, looking at the other casters in the party. "Holy smite? Anyone able to smite the earth itself for misbehaving?"
Thurid scowls at the words from the Lucht, and she looks at the things again. "We must put a stop to it. It can't be good for the land to have it's magic drained, and who knows what it's being used for." she grunts, and then she begins stomping her way up the hill once more, any worry she had about the source of meaning of the shards pushed aside by her intent to do something about them one way or another. She does glance over her shoulder to Glasha, "Whatever is causing the hill to swell, it didn't respond to positive energy. I have some holy water, but hardly enough to douse the entire hill."
Tenoc blinks once, turning back to glance at his companions slowly. Finally spooked, as not by demon sheep and tears in the world.
Must speak with Shamen. SHUDDER.
"...ssk. Seen, in other places. In Am'Shere, where furred rat things burrow beneath ground, make homes. Protection against hunters, other creatures. Sssk." About to continue, he turns back sharply at Pasithea's sudden, sharp remarks, eye thrown back to the hill with renewed suspicion. The Makar growls, turning back with a grimace of bared teeth. A quick sketch on the air-- warding against evil spirits!
Havi titls his head. "Curious." He says mianlly to Thurid, though he narrows his eyes as he reaches for his weapon. "Sucking magic" He asks of the Lucht, before he narrows his yees at it. "Then I suggest we engage. Does anyone know of holy magics, something to counteract this vile thing?" he questions, but does not demand.
Eyes narrow. "This wound of the world."
Thurid takes one of the clay jars of holy water she has on her and stomps her way over towards one of the shards. She unstoppers it just enough to hold it out and pour a few drops on the shard, which pass from one side to the other unimpeded. "It doesn't seem to react to holy water either." she says to the others. She stoppers the bottle again, then waves her hand infront, and then behind of it. "I can almost see through it, but not quite. I can tell if there's something blocking thelite behind it but I can't make anything out. It's like very darkly stained glass, or poorly cast glass that is milky." she says then. "I'm going to try touching it." she announces to her allies, and then she attempts to plunge her hand right into the shard infront of her.
Glasha holds up her drawn, cold-iron Falchion. "Okay, this is really bad for the blade, but I have to know." She raises the sword up, holding it up-side down, then stabs it as deep as she can into one of the cracks in the ground. Curiosity hopefully won't cover her in whatever passes for puss in a world-wound.
The Jotun's hand passes right through without resistance. Try as she might, she can't feel anything! Not even a tingle. Attempting it again, willing to sense something at the point of contact, even lingering, produces the same result. It's there, but not there.
The half-orc's blade is driven into the ground. The ground resists. It's more rock than earth and there are unpleasant scraping noises, but nothing unusual. Nothing erupts and the odd anomalies remain unchanged. Just dirt.
Glasha pulls her blade out and cringes. "I'm sorry, girl," she says. "I'll fix you up and polish you when we get home."
Pasithea takes her time and slowly heads up the hill to where Thurid stands and then beyond and upward, trying to be silent and sneaky as she can. She avoids the wounds or strechmarks where ever they are on her trip up the slope.
GAME: Thurid casts Align Weapon. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
Thurid frowns as nothing bad happens to her hand, she waves it back and forth in the shard a couple of times, and still nothing happens. "I'll see if they react to more concentrated holy power in any way." she says. She grips her earthbreaker in both hands, closing her eyes and lifts it up to present the maul's great steel head to the sky. A surge of light flows through it, illuminating the thunderbolt of Angoron engraved in its side, and then she swings the hammer at the shard- passing right through and it slams into the ground. She huffs a bit as nothing seems to have happened... until she glances up.
"They're getting bigger!" she says, and then gestures towards a single, large shard, that seems to be at the top. "It looks like they are directing the energy they absorb up there!" she jumps to a conclusion.
GAME: Havi rolls spellcraft: (18)+8: 26
Havi stares at this wound for a moment before he ponders. "This looks very akin to a broken portal spell...perhaps one that allowed the Ewes to past through. However, the only way to know for sure is if we managed to climb to the top." And so, Havi gets moving. He seems very confident about this decision.
Tenoc quivers, perking as he gazes towards the hill's summit.
"From your mage-things?" he asks, tailtip quivering. "Or spirits from the earth? Hssk. How does one harm such things?" He glowers up at the hilloc, rumbling with an bone-rattling sound. He glances towards Havi with a foreboding wince, but is quick to follow after. Trudging up the torn ground, every inch of him quivering with dismay.
Nothing, no reaction to the Jotun's spell, there is no resistance to the weapon, nothing erupts from the ground as the hammer head slams home. The odd, jagged colour floating in space is unmoved.
Glasha doesn't let Havi go alone. As soon as the theory is proposed, Glasha thinks it sounds sound enough to follow through on as well and follows Havi, jogging to catch up.
Climbing the hill is easy enough, it isn't that steep a slope. The anomalies provide no resistance, but it becomes harder and hard to move around them. The red shards line up. Nearer the peak, their organization becomes more obvious. Like a giant orrey puzzle, they are rings within rings that almost create a complete sphere. Rings that aren't aligned correctly. They would need to be rotated this way or that and currently there are many gaps and overlaps.
The peak itself is bare. The heather has been eaten back, leaving a bare expanse of rock with nibbled stumps and an unrestricted view of an unpleasant sight. Bodies. The prey of carnivorous sheep might be expected, but no. It is the sheep themselves. The top of the hill is covered in dried, black blood, splashed randomly in layers. In the centre of each large spatter is a sheep carcass. Bloody bones, skulls streaked with ichor lie on a sheep-skin that appears to have been blown off the sheep from inside. Rotting entrails lie in twisted patterns, some resembling sigils from infernal rituals.
In the midst of this mess, there is a broken circle of grey stones, a smaller circle inside that, and the largest shard observed so far. Unlike the others, this one can be seen through. A chunk of sky with a cloud in it is visible through it.
GAME: Thurid rolls knowledge/religion: (9)+5: 14 GAME: Tenoc rolls knowledge/nature: (20)+5: 25 GAME: Havi rolls knowledge/nature: (19)+10: 29 GAME: Glasha rolls spellcraft: (3)+13: 16 GAME: Glasha rolls Linguistics: (18)+13: 31 GAME: Pasithea rolls spellcraft: (14)+8: 22
When the squishy sorts begin to take the lead, Thurid huffs and she grabs the haft of her hammer with both hands, reasting the head on her shoulder, she begins to jog up the hill herself. "Wait! Let me take point." she insists as she hauls ass up the slope. She slows as she draws near the pile of festering corpses and her nose wrinkles. "Gods above..." she says, clenching her teeth against the bile trying to rise in her throat. "This is some kind of ritual, I'd wager." she says as she looks about. "An abyssal one at that." she adds as she eyes the arrangement of the entrails.
Pasi hugs her spear to her body as she looks around at the dead carcasses and other bloody things. Her eyes manage to stay open enough to take in everything far too much then she really wants too. "It's a portal. A spell of... some kind. I don't know how long it will last or if it will even fade."
Havi turns his head to Thurid. "I agree." He tells her and waits for her to take on the lead. Though he proceeds to keep moving once she's caught up. His eyes narrow though at what he sees. "It is what I feared. Infernal rituals of heinous sort were done here." He looks upon the stones though.
"Iron Ore." he says with only a glance upon them, experience enough to know what they are.
"We must seal this wound."
Tenoc slows as he comes up on the otun, eyes widening at the ghastly scene surveiled. No words, no gestures-- he tightens his grasp on his greatspear, stone-faced as he glowers across the ritual space.
"Can..." He gestures helplessly, frowning. "Sssk. Be fixed? Closed?" He glances to the spell casters, down at the hill in turn. "..collapse the mound?" he suggests hesitantly, grasping at ideas.
Glasha looks down at the entrails spilled from sheep and arranged into infernal symbols. "Ugh," she says. She looks at the rocks. "These are Mynsandraal," she says. "It looks like a binding spell. That's infernal," she says, pointing to the inner circle. "I can cast Comprehend Languages, if you guys want to know what it says, but I think it's a summoning of something to be bound by the binding spell, just as a best-guess.
The broken circle is formed by what originally might have been twenty-four stones, of which only seventeen remain. Eight of the stones are the size of a Jotun's fist, and the remainder half that size. The circle is about a meter and a half in diameter, and looks like a clock. Each large stone is positionned at a number, with a smaller one in between. Excepting the smashed away section. The stones themselves are purplish-grey in colour, with some yellow streaks, as well as a dried blood colour which is hard to avoid in this area. Roughly square, they each have a symbol marked on them in a strange language. Mynsandraal, according to the half-orc.
There is a second circle inside the clock circle. This one is melted into the loose rocks, holding them together and looking like dried lava. It has proper rings, and symbols marked inside the rings. Infernal symbols. There is the faintest tinge of pink to the rock, making it resemble the shards. Unlike the larger circle, this one remains perfect.
The big shard floats directly in the centre of the small circle, about a foot off the ground. It is unaffected by wind, or things passing through it. While still resembling a piece of shattered mirror or a window, it is possible to see through it. Although, there are distortions. Like badly blown glass or a funhouse mirror, it warps everything viewed through it. Distant mountains and clouds are there, but not quite right. The sky, the ground, the shrubbery also can be seen in twisted forms. The sheep carcasses, cannot. There are sheep visible through the red window, but not near where their bodies are here. Assuming they are the same sheep, that is.
Thurid looks about, the arrangement of the rocks, and she seems to consider for a while. "This may sound strange..." she says, to those assembled, "But mayhap we ought repair the circle." she suggests then pausing a moment before she explains her reasoning. "We can't affect these shards while this... ritual is shattered. But perhaps, if we were to repair it, we might be able to purge it completely." she finally says then, casting her gaze over the others to see what they think of the idea.
Pasithea keeps blinking at the inner circle of stones and the 'portal' in the center of it all. "It glows black.. just like the..others. As does the inner ring. It's still charged with.. anti-magic? Or corrupted magic or.. something else." That said she keeps her distance from the center.
"If you can find the stones, putting them back can't hurt," Glasha says. "Make sure you're outside the binding circle, though. I don't know everything about it. I need to do more observations. Do some math. Reverse engineering a spell like this is hard in the best of circumstances, and this one kind of makes me want to throw up."
"Magic that was broken in its purpose, perhaps intentionally." Havi interjects, but all the same, he nods lightly. "It is a portal spell indeed. Look there, the inner circle is the actual portal magic. The outer circle was what would cancel it, make it cease. But the circle is broken. We must repair it if we are to have any hope of repairing the damage in this area. Reverse-engineering the spell should not be too difficult, but we need to find the missing pieces."
GAME: Tenoc rolls Perception: (1)+10: 11 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Pasithea rolls perception: (9)+3: 12 GAME: Havi rolls perception: (6)+8: 14 GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Glasha rolls Perception: (4)+1: 5
Tenoc clasps his spear before him, half couched as he watches the circle-in-a-circle, the shard within... the world beyond. A mirror, reflecting darkly. The Hunter rumbles, eyeing the others with a nod.
"If thought this is best," he rumbles, "Though... ssk. If circle stones are carried away, they may not be here to be found." He frowns deeply, gaze scouring the ground. "Replace them, sssomehow? Thus is best, yus?"
"If there are stones missing, we should be able to replicate the missing ones. For now though, we cannot fix this ritual without the missing stones. Everyone, please begin looking.' and so, Havi looks around. But alas, he has little to no success on such matters.
Glasha opens her satchel and pulls out one of her notebooks and a paper-wrapped wax stick she usually uses to write with. She kneels down outside the outer circle and makes a diagram of what's there, enough to understand it, and at the same time, looks casually around for any missing rocks, though it's pretty clear her heart is more on the puzzle than the perception.
Thurid nods her head at the others as they all seem to agree in principle what needs to be done. She goes looking around the nearby hill to see if she can find any stones- which she can! Lots of them, in fact. But none of them seem to be the right shape or bear those same infernal symbols on them. She grumbles to herself as she turns over yet another likely candidate only to discover it barren of evil markings. "No luck, here." she calls back to the group.
The lucht keeps her eyes moving about from ground to the strange stretch marks as she's looking for stones. She's nervious enough to remain almsot fully awake. Her hands gripping and loosening on her spear's haft. "Perhaps we could.. get in a line and walk side by side to find.. them?"
Tenoc is glad for the distraction-- turning his eyes from the warped scene, the circle of stoes, he begins his hunt for more stones, beter stones, different stones, stone without gore and scratchning and marks of horrible, evil, sinister...
He shudders, jerking his head. "...evil words," he growls, eyes squeezed shut. Infernal, wicked language. It *wants* to be learned, remebered-- etching its way into every thoght!
Everyone looks for rocks. This shouldn't be hard, find a small rock on a hill that's mostly small rocks and covered in heather bushes and dried blood. It takes some time, and a little wandering back and forth, as well as circling around the shard in case they ended up opposite where they were situated.
Tenoc finds something! It's not a rock. Looking up, he glances through the shard. Thurid is on the opposite side, so it's startling to see two people in the same place. The Jotun isn't looking a the sith'makar, but a Demon is. It stands beside Thurid, definitely male, and twists his head to peer at Tenoc through the shard.
As far as demons go, he's pretty standard in being bare chested and muscular with two curving rams horns coming out of his head. His hair is long, wooly dreadlocks and it hangs to his shoulders. From the waist and downwards he has a pelt covering that would rival the biggest ram for thick wool, and legs that bend unnaturally and end in cloven hooves. He has a pronounced nose and mouth, giving him a long face, and sideways slit pupil eyes which enhance the overall sheep appearance. He wears a bag at his hip that is held on by a strap that crosses his chest, and he carries a very long sheppards crook.
GAME: Glasha rolls Spellcraft+2+2: (12)+13+2+2: 29
The half-oruch is confident she can repair the circle even without the original rocks. Similar sized replacements, marked up, should be sufficient.
Thurid sighs a bit as she stands up from a stooped position looking for the rocks in question, "I think they're gone." she says, and spies Tenoc on the far side. She offers a hand, hesitating a moment as he starts to growl about evil words. "Are you well, friend?" she calls over to him, clearly concerned. And apparently obvlivious to the danger he sees right besides her.
Pasi points to the inner circle of crushed stones. "Likely.. all are in.. there together." She moves then to search for larger stones to take the place of those that were lost or used in infernal ways.
Tenoc mutters darkly, tail snapping back and forth as he hunts for proper stones, proper shapes, proper--
It is out of the corner of his eye that he sees the image through the Worldshard, turning just a heartbeat after Thurid offer her assistance. Eyes widen; warmthy burns in his belly, steam hissing from his nostrils as he reflexively inhales. Warm and hot and deep-- there. The Demon is *there*--! Heat chuffs in a hot, shimmering waves from the Makar's jaws; twirling his spear back and about, the Sith stalks towards Thurid menacingly, tail lashing as he draws near.
"Step aside," Tenoc warns the Jotun, trying to keep the demon in sight. Though trying to get closer to them while maintaining view through the shard is.... Difficult.
Havi narrows his eyes. "They may yet be." He informs Thurid, though Tenoc's dark mutterings is not foreign to Havi's ears. "What is it?" He questions Tenoc, though he seems curious, Tenoc seems...on edge. Meantime though, rocks need to get found.
It's impossible for Tenoc keep the demon in sight. Moving towards Thurid changes the angle. The demon seems to be right beside her, and once the sith'makar's viewpoint moves past the shard, he can't be seen. Also, he's not standing still. He's moving around the hill, circling. Everyone can see him now, staring around the jagged edges of the shard as if it's a window. His appearance is made all the more worse by being seen through a distorted, red lens. The odd effect of him being beside another party remember remains. And he can see everyone, reacting as people come into view for him. His mouth opens, but no sound crosses. It's possible to keep him in sight by shifting around the shard, but it causes a strange overlap with the people opposite the viewer, whom he seems to walk through. Completing a circuit, he keeps rotating until he can see Tenoc again. He reaches out with his shepard's crook, hooks a sheep and drags it over to pick up.
Thurid grips her hammer a bit more firmly as Tenoc brandishes his spear at her, "Now, friend, don't do anything foolish." she says to him, firmly. Conveniently and entirely misunderstanding his meaning, she holds her hand out towards him. "This place is dark, and does dark things to the mind. Focus on the task at hand." she says, and with a prayer spoken to Angoron she reaches her hand out towards the Sith makar cautiously, attempting to touch him on the shoulder.
It is then she finally notices the demon in the portal shard and starts slightly at the sight. "First demon sheep, and now a sheep demon." she observes as she looks back at him. Her hand returns to her hammer to grip it ready.
Pasithea looks up as people go on edge and catches a brief glimpse of the demon. She imediately looks around to make sure there aren't any more and then speaks quickly. "Must find roacks! Must find rocks and close things. Yes, yes.. close things!"
"..in Darkworld," Tenoc reples to Havi, eyeing the rent in space suspiciously. "Demon World." He rumbles quietly, exhaling slowly-- chuff of fire smoldering from his muzzle. The search for the proper stones takes second place now; he moves in sentinel circle, eyeing the Demon Shephard cautiously, once he catches the demon in view-- moving to keep it there, his tail lashing.
"Hunt for stones," he replies to Thurid, nodding grimly. "Repair broken spirit circle. If it comes, tries--" He pauses, grinning with toothy eagerness. Then pausing.
"...then, explain. Sssk--stretch markings?"
GAME: Havi rolls Perception: (12)+8: 20 GAME: Pasithea rolls perception: (14)+3: 17 GAME: Thurid rolls perception: (17)+5: 22
The party distributes themselves around the shard. Thurid will take the near range, at twelve o'clock, 20' and stay opposite Tenoc as she searches. Tenoc is keeping watch at the 6'oclock point, 30 feet sounds find. Just close enough to lunge, STAB if needed! Pasithea will be at one o'clock, twenty five feet away, with Havi at seven, fifteen feet away. Glasha stands as far back as the furthest, thirty feet and behind Havi.
Thurid nods her head at Tenoc, "Alright." she says as he suggests the continue her search, and seems to snap back to his senses- now they've all seen the demon in the doorway. She moves to a position on the opposite side of the portal from the Sith and goes back to scouring looking for rocks, eventually coming across a likely candidate, "Got one." she calls out. "I think."
The demon is visible, watching. Peering with those odd slit-pupil eyes. The ewe in his arms struggles. He stands close, near ten o'clock. He throws the sheep towards the red shard. The distorted image of the sheep grows larger as she seems to smash right into it. On this side, the melted circle in the ground suddenly glows. To sleepy lucht's eyes, the black spots suddenly switch to bright light. Magic is happening! The ewe appears, in the four o'clock position, as distorted as she seemed on the other side. The sheep lands on the ground with a pained 'baaaa' and her body twists. She is wrung like a wet towel, then reversed. The sheep swells then explodes in a shower of blood an dentrails.
Around the hill, the smaller red shards dotting it all rotate left or right. They spread and straighten, the hill appears to be covered in a red bubble, and the landscape visible through it does not quite line up with the landscape visible moments ago. As the dome completes, the jagged shape at the peak resolves into a proper rectangle. A doorway. The demon steps through, and with him a rotting stinks washes forth. The source of the corruption seen earlier, revealed.
Havi manages to find one of hte rocks, holding it in his arms as he calls out to everyone else. "I found one of the smaller rocks, I believe!" He calls, and begins making his way back to the group. That is....the Ewe appears then, apparently. "By the Gods." Havi says with a shock and frown. "Anyone who has a stone, return it to the circle as best you can! Everyone else, do your best to hold the demon back!"
GAME: Pasithea rolls ranged: (12)+5: 17 GAME: Pasithea used a Acid. GAME: Pasithea rolls 1d6: (5): 5
The darned sleepy lucht reactes pretty fast once something steps through. She hardly even looks at it before she reaches into he bad and tosses a bottle at the demonic thing. It strikes hard and breaks open, burning the being with acid.
GAME: Tenoc rolls Intimidate: (6)+10: 16
Tenoc steps forward after the vial's smoking, sizzling arc. Grinning with toothy menace, he brandishes his weapon menacingly, eyes burning bright.
"Sssk. Back," he warns, growling. "..or be sent back, beside whatever I choose to keep!"
The Sheep Demon does not seem reasonable or willing to share. Like hatchling clutch-mates, will not get back on his side of nest!
The Sheep Demon is aware of everyone's position, and planned his emergence. He whips a set of pipes up to his mouth and plays a quick melody. This is followed by a very Infernal 'baaaaaa'.
It seems to have no effect, until Glasha, who glanced his way returns to exclusively looking for rocks and ignoring everyone else.
GAME: Thurid casts Enlarge Person. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14
Thurid eyeballs the demon emerging from the portal, "We'll have an easier time finding those rocks if we crush these demons first." she calls out to Havi. She speaks a prayer to Angoron, her voice growing louder and echoing out as she does so, and the essence of her god flows through her. She begins to grow in size, head stooped low as she continues to prey, until she opens her eyes again- they flash with light for a moment, from fourteen feet in the air. "You should have returned while you had the chance, demon!" she booms at the infernal creature, pointing the head of her maul at it.
GAME: Havi casts Entangle. Caster Level: 2 DC: 14 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (2)+8: 10 (Sheep Demon Reflex) GAME: Pasithea rolls reflex: (7)+4: 11 GAME: Glasha rolls reflex: (17)+2: 19 GAME: Tenoc rolls Reflex: (6)+8: 14 GAME: Havi rolls reflex: (6)+2: 8 GAME: Thurid rolls reflex: (6)+2: 8 <OOC> Thurid says, "I believe I need to make a concentration check to avoid losing the spell. DC is 16" GAME: Thurid rolls wisdom+3: (16)+3+3: 22
Havi casts an entanglement spell...but he puts a little TOO much magic umph in it and makes it too effective! It starts affecting his teammates too and himself!
Since he is now trapped by vines. "Nine hells!" Havi curses.
GAME: Glasha casts Summon Monster II. Caster Level: 4 DC: 18
Glasha begins her eldritch speech, her tongue doing things no mortal tongue should do as she intoned the words of power. Her arms gesture with gusto, the pages of her notebook flapping back and forth as her arm moves while holding it, the other hand doing a great job making the hand symbols needed to make the spell work.
Suddenly Pasithea is surrounded by writhing plantlife. Which is just strange enough in this strange landscape of portals to make her hesitate as she pulls out a alchemist's fire flask. Things are going bad to worse but she presses inwards towards the foes.
GAME: Tenoc rolls Intelligence: (3)+0: 3 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "range type damage and DC of the FB?" <OOC> Tenoc says, "30' cone, Fire, damage 1d6." <OOC> Tenoc says, "DC: 15." GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (6)+8: 14 (sheep Demon Reflex) GAME: Pasithea rolls reflex+4: (8)+4+4: 16 GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d6: (4): 4 GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d6: (3): 3 <OOC> Tenoc says, "Demon: 4, Pasi: 3." GAME: Tenoc damaged Pasithea for 1 points. 12 HP remaining.
Tenoc grins. Grins toothily, wickedly! The Makar struggles forward through the magically animated foliage, tearing through as best he can. Not close enough to stab, but to breathe...
The heat billows within his stoimach, broiling and seething with belly and core. Exhaled, relerased-- a burst of hot, searing flame!
...which might barely catch an ally. Oops.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "<10 Summon, 10-15 attack ranged, 16-20 attack melee, 20-25 pipes, <25 go back" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+2: (15)+2: 17 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (12)+4: 16 (Sheep Demon Strength Check) <OOC> Demon readies an action
The sheep demon baaas angrily as the heather grows up and into the wool covering his legs. He sizzles, acid hurts. Taking stock of the situation and the people approaching, he kicks at the ground. Bushes are uprooted, and still cling to him. He readies his long shepard's staff and keeps an eye on everyone approaching. Horizontal minus eyes.
<OOC> Thurid says, "-2 because still entangled." GAME: Thurid rolls weapon1-2: (15)+5+-2: 18 GAME: Thurid rolls damage1: aliased to 3d6+6: (10)+6: 16
The massive form of Thurid glances down as the vines begin to wrap around her ankles. She wrenches forwards, tearing up vines and thorns and clodes of earth as she stomps towards the creature through the heat haze of Tennoc's breath. As she approaches she hefts her enormous hammer high above her head and brings it crashing down ontop of the creature, scoring a solid hit with the weapon whos head seems larger than he is. "Begone, Devil!" she bellows- the hammer following through after the blow and smashing into the ground hard enough to send a shockwave that is felt more than it is heard and fragments of stone and soil scattering from the impact.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Havi's turn, everyone Reflex save again" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (13)+8: 21 (Sheep Demon Reflex) GAME: Tenoc rolls Reflex: (8)+8: 16 GAME: Pasithea rolls reflex: (9)+4: 13 GAME: Thurid rolls reflex: (12)+2: 14 GAME: Glasha rolls Reflex: (19)+2: 21 GAME: Havi rolls reflex: (14)+2: 16 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "You stay entangled Thurid. Pasi, Havi since you were before. Glasha and Tenoc you're fine." GAME: Havi casts Produce Flame. Caster Level: 2 DC: 14 <OOC> Thurid says, "Wis for druids, yeah. DC should be 15+Spell level" GAME: Havi rolls 1d20+2+3: (3)+2+3: 8 <OOC> Havi says, "free reroll? XD" GAME: Havi rolls 1d20+2+3: (4)+2+3: 9
Havi attempts to cast a spell, but the heather shoots growing into his toenails are too distracting.
GAME: Glasha rolls 6: (6)+6: 12 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "you were here early, you got a reroll" GAME: Glasha rolls 6: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Glasha rolls 1d6+4: (4)+4: 8 <OOC> Glasha says, "Earth Elemental."
Stones from beneath the ground shift under the grass, making it move like a cartoon animated rumbly tummy. A stony fist with dirt connecting tissue punches up through the ground, animated by the elemental plane of earth. It pulls itself up from beneath the topsoil right next to the demon sheep, between it and glasha, but adjacent to the demon. As it comes up from beneath the earth, it raises its stony leg as it rises to knee the sheep's undercarriage before stepping back to take up a normal combat posture near it.
<OOC> Pasithea says, "move and throw fire." GAME: Pasithea rolls ranged: (4)+5: 9 <OOC> Pasithea says, "heh.. I'll use my reroll please" GAME: Pasithea rolls ranged: (17)+5: 22 GAME: Pasithea rolls 1d6: (1): 1
Pasithea keeps steping in closer. The steps are /work/ too. Short person moving through writhing plants! She's far closer then she wants to be when she throws the alchemist's fire hes has hold of. It' arcs and looks as if it might miss but then grazes along the demon's body and sets him alight. not that he looks all that agrivated by it. Flame also trickles in through the open portal and sets grasses alight there as well.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (16)+6: 22 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+4: (3)+4: 7 GAME: Sheep Demon damaged Pasithea for 7 points. 5 HP remaining. <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "and... roll a save, Fort DC16" GAME: Pasithea rolls fort: (8)+3: 11 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "something unexpected happens." <OOC> Pasithea says, "beepbeep I'm a sheep?"
As Pasithea approaches, the Sheep Demon turns and whips out his shepards crook at her.
For the lucht, the world briefly explodes into enlightenment. Everything becomes comprehensible, all secrets and meanings revealed. This new knowledge rushes in with an awareness of the God-Father, resplendent in all his glory, appearing in person and close, an initimate manifestation of divinity. The glowing brilliance of comprehension fades, including the understanding, but leaving the satisfied feelings and knowledge that existence makes sense. Now, existence means eating shrubberies, and destroying Dad's enemies.
Everyone else, sees Pasithea turn into a sheep. An ewe that has first a shocked, then a puzzled, and finally a hostile expression. As far as anyone with 'reading sheep' skills can tell.
Pasithea's head makes a *thock!* sound as she's struck. And then it's no longer the lucht but a small black fleeced sheep where she once stood. Her mouth opens.. "Baaaaaahhh!"
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "Okay. He had a held action for you in case you got in range." <OOC> Thurid says, "I believe tenoc gets flanking, now, since we're both engaging with reach from opposite sides?" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "and yes, there is flanking" <OOC> Tenoc ponders too. "Does my Tepoztopilli have great er reach than his crook?" <OOC> Glasha says, "Earth Elemental attack +7 if I miss my turn, damage +5." <OOC> Thurid nodnods, "I think, in general, if it just says 'reach' with no additional info, it's +5'" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13 GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d20+9+2: (6)+9+2: 17
Immediately after bopping and be-peeping Pasithea, the Sheep Demon shepard swings for Tenoc. The sith'makar is a little harder to hit, and his crook seems ineffectual.
Pasithea is adjusting to her new reality. Also, no one's told her what to do; most sheep don't innovate.
Tenoc takes the Bo-Peeping advantage offered, lunging in to stab at the demonic shepherd. Lunge, race-- piercing the air, missing the demon! THe Makar snarls as she coils himself back, greater reach ot the Tepoztopilli matched by that of the infernal crook the demon carries.
Growling hungr--wordlessly. WORDLESSLY. He snarls at the demon, shifting his stance for another go!
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+4: (1)+4: 5 GAME: Sheep Demon damaged Tenoc for 5 points. 47 HP remaining. <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Tenoc, Fort Save DC16" GAME: Tenoc rolls Fortitude: (17)+9: 26
The sheep demon 'baaaas' at Tenoc. In some ways it is a classic battle, predator versus prey, predator versus the prey's protector, all rolled into one. Except the mutton is rotten and reeking, and very wooly.
The shepard swings with his crook again, landing a solid blow on Tenoc's shoulder. The crook bounces, barely an injury, and while he can feel dark magics trying to twist his very form, he manages to resist and shake it off.
No sheep for ewe.
<OOC> Thurid will take a move action to attempt a strength check to break free of entangled. GAME: Thurid rolls strength: (10)+4: 14 <OOC> Thurid says, "And attempt to sunder the crook." <OOC> Thurid says, "Provokes an AoO" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "actually he took his AOO before his turn, so his AOOs are back, but you're out of range" GAME: Thurid rolls weapon1+2: (5)+5+2: 12
Thurid blinks in surprise as Pasitheo transforms into a sheep before their very eyes, and she glances towards the corpses in the area again, she gags at the possible implication- true or not, she may have splattered a handful of innocents on the way up this hill. Incensed by that, she hefts her hammer up and swings it at the crook the demon creature carries- but her eyes are full of righteous fury, and she is blinded by it as she lets out a wordless cry through gritted teeth, veins on her neck popping- the blow misses the slender crooked stick and she smashes the ground again, sending a fresh cascade of stony soil billowing out.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "entangled again, Reflexes if you're free." GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (12)+8: 20 (Sheep Demon Reflex) GAME: Tenoc rolls Reflex: (6)+8: 14 GAME: Thurid rolls reflex: (15)+2: 17 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (16)+5: 21 (Glasha Reflex) GAME: Pasithea rolls reflex: (20)+4: 24 (CRITICAL SUCCESS)
The heather, the weeds, the grass, continue to sprout and entwine, growing into fur and clothing fold, getting caught in armour.
GAME: Glasha rolls 1d20+7: (20)+7: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Glasha rolls 1d20+7: (20)+7: 27 (Confirmed) GAME: Glasha rolls 2d6+8: (2)+8: 10 GAME: Glasha rolls 1d20+4: (20)+4: 24 (Caster vs SR) GAME: Glasha rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
A charge runs through the silver embroidery on Glasha's outfit. "Follow this, Chuck!" she calls out, pointing her finger at the sheep demon. Unerringly, the magic missile that erupts from her finger strikes at the sheep demon's throat, leading the Earth Elemental to thrust a flat hand forward, following the missile's force damage with a powerful, flat-handed jab of earthen strength. "Good boy, Chuck!" Glasha calls out, a big smile on her face.
GAME: Pasithea rolls 1d6: (5): 5
Her hands may have gone, but the fire Pasithea threw keeps burning. It has trickled down into his wool, and does so much more effectively. The Sheep Shepherd brays unhappily.
GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d20+9+2: (16)+9+2: 27 GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d10+1+7: (6)+1+7: 14
Incensed fury and hunter's malice-- Tenoc moves slowly to one side, eyes glittering as he maeuvers in timeless, classic tactic. Stepping forward gathering a pace of distance to switch-- from piercing black tip to slashing black glass, the tepoztopilli arcs up, down. A slashing strike-- the dark blade rakes across wooly flesh, reluctant to bite through completely even as it cuts. "..shear your skin!" he snarls, eyes glitterikng with fierce promise. "Tear out your horns for headdress!"
<OOC> Pasithea says, "I'm afraid I must rarrr and attack nearest foe..:("
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I so order as the evil, cold hearted GM, so don't get upset at Pasi"
GAME: Pasithea rolls melee+1: (13)+2+1: 16
Woolithea snorts and lowers her horned head and sharges through the writhing grasses towards Tenoc, brushing against him and doing no dammage but perhaps a small bit of stattic electricity. She bahhhs and turns about to try again.
GAME: Thurid rolls intimidate+4: (12)+2+4: 18 GAME: Tenoc rolls Intimidate: (11)+10: 21 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (19)+6: 25 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+4: (4)+4: 8 GAME: Sheep Demon damaged Tenoc for 8 points. 39 HP remaining. <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Fort Save DC16 Tenoc" GAME: Tenoc rolls Fortitude: (15)+9: 24
"Baaaaa!" The Sheepherd says.
Woolithea hears, 'Attack them my pretty.'
Everyone else sees him swinging and clocking the greenscaled sith'makar upside the head. He knows how to land that crook well.
And the twisting, eldrich tendrils of a very unpleasant spell try to warp Tenoc again, but he manages to resist.
GAME: Thurid casts Align Weapon. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
Thurid growls at her attempt to strike the creatures crook fails- "Well, it will be easier when you are dead!" she growls, and hefts her hammer high into the air once more. She speaks a prayer to her god, and his light pours into her earthbreaker, causing the mountain and the thunderbolt engravings to glow with internal light once again.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (19)+8: 27 (Sheep Demon Reflex) GAME: Glasha rolls reflex: (18)+2: 20 GAME: Thurid rolls reflex: (5)+2: 7 GAME: Tenoc rolls Reflex: (18)+8: 26 GAME: Pasithea rolls reflex: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL) <OOC> Pasithea says, "hehehehe. stuck sheep is stuck"
The heather wraps itself around the Jotun's legs, holding her. Woolithea also finds herself engulfed in a bush.
GAME: Glasha rolls 1d20+7: (4)+7: 11 (EE attack) <OOC> Glasha says, "My action will be to cast Acid Splash from my cloak." GAME: Glasha rolls ranged: (7)+3: 10
Glasha laughs once as her plan went off without a hitch. "Ha!" she says, thrusting out a finger. A blob of acid forms in her other hand that she tosses, though as it misses, splashing harmlessly into the weeds, Chuck attempts to attack where it landed on the sheep demon, also missing. Glasha grimaces as her incredible success is followed by an incredible failure.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20: (11): 11
The alchemical fire has burnt out, but some of the leaves on the nearby bushes have lit. The area is getting more hell-like by the minute.
GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d20+9+2: (6)+9+2: 17
Tenoc can *feel* the warping, twisting magic-- somewhere a distant second to the slamming strike against his skull! The Makar snarls, shaking his head, eyes burning; a glance warns of Woolithea's approach, a quick step to the side letting the cute demon-ewe horns glance from scaled leg with a thump. Head still ringing from the sound blow, he refocuses his gaze on the demon shepherd, another step as he moves, trying to keep Demon Shepherd and Woolithea in sight. Cutting through the fruitless tangling vines, steps deft and swift-- course clear-- stabbing forward, lunging for the shepherd with a vicious snarl! Stabbing the air. But viciously!
Rarrrh!
GAME: Pasithea rolls strength: (7)+0: 7 GAME: Pasithea rolls melee +1: (10)+2+1: 13
Woolithea is not infected, and sheep shearing by an expert is really quick. It could be possible to get a small bunch of wool off her before she changes back. That would make a hat or scarf with a really odd origin story.
Woolithea rears back on two legs to try and butt her head agaisnt Tenoc but the darndest bit of misfortune happens. The writhing bits of grasses and heather curl up and about her legs and tangle into her fleece, lifting the lucht-sheep up from the ground and tripping her mid attack. She ends up half on her head and half upside down with stubby hooved feet batting at the air.
She wiggles about and on to her feet but remains fermly wrapped in the plant life, huffing. then tries to bite Tenoc, nibbling at his scaled leg.
GAME: Tenoc rolls Intimidate: (14)+10: 24 GAME: Thurid rolls intimidate+4: (9)+2+4: 15 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19
"BaaaaaaAaah!"
A sigh, 'just do your best'.
The Sheepherd has two foes, a gigantic woman with a big hammer, and a lizard who just won't be sheeped. He's determined, unwilling to change a strategy mid-stream. Keep attacking, that's the plan.
He swings! He misses. He's just doing his best too.
GAME: Thurid rolls strength: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Thurid rolls weapon1+2-2: (10)+5+2+-2: 15
Thurid has neglected the crawling vines for too long, and they have snaked their way up her legs past the knees. She wrenches tree-trunk like legs against the grasping vines that are crawling concerningly close to the skirts of her armor by now, but they have grown too strong for her to yank free as she did in the first place. She grits her teeth and swings her now-glowing hammer at the beast- but the wriggling of the crawling plants is too distracting and she kicks up another spray of dirt.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (4)+8: 12 (Sheep Demon Reflex) GAME: Glasha rolls reflex: (4)+2: 6 GAME: Tenoc rolls Reflex: (19)+8: 27
Small branches of heather engulf Glasha.
GAME: Glasha rolls ranged: (5)+3: 8 GAME: Glasha rolls 1d20+7: (7)+7: 14
Acid Splash doesn't seem to be the answer, as Glasha whiffs yet another blob, Chuck swings and also misses.
The fires around the Sheep Demon continue to burn, with tendrils of black smoke coming up from his wool. This does not improve his smell one bit.
GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d20+9+2: (1)+9+2: 12 (EPIC FAIL) <OOC> Pasithea says, "gnaw the tenoc" GAME: Pasithea rolls melee +1: (10)+2+1: 13 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Scales So thick!" <OOC> Pasithea says, "OMnomnomnomnomnom"
Tenoc 's roar cuts through the air like a red-hot axe, the anger in his gaze fierce as...
... he is nibbled. Viciously! By terrible sheep.
- It is not super effective.
This time, Tenoc twirls his spear, sharp edge and thick haft serving to parry with a skittering crack of wood to wood. The Makar snarls; trying to push the demon into the path of Thurid's weapon, he succeeds only in shoving the wooden crook away. He twists his weapon, twirling it down, jabbing forward again. From slash into pierce, deft and deadly as he uses the obsidian blade to deliver a razor-pointed blow----
---straight to the earth. The Makar blinks in shock, gstaring up at the wickedly grinning demon shepherd's cross-slitted eyes.
Poor demon sheep Pasi is not so good at her job. Her nubby teeth nibble at scales and do nothing more then a deep massage.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (18)+4: 22 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+4: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Sheep Demon damaged Tenoc for 6 points. 33 HP remaining. <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Roll Fort Save Tenoc, DC16" GAME: Tenoc rolls Fortitude: (5)+9: 14 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "you showed up right as I said you get a free re-roll so you have one, yes." GAME: Tenoc rolls Fortitude: (7)+9: 16
It's weird, fighting under this rose-coloured sky. Looking around at the distant mountains, seeing them overlap the more familiar ones that were visible during the climb. There are only two places that aren't distorted by the strange visions. At the very bottom of the hill, there's a small gap where the original trees are.
And through the portal, that square seems fixed and the only thing visible through its space is the otherworldly mountains, sheep and smoking rocks. A much darker sky.
Something to ponder, as Tenoc is wacked again by the crook, and this time feels his body barely resist the twisting the magic.
Angrily, the Sheepherd 'baaas' at him.
GAME: Thurid rolls strength: (18)+4: 22 (Break free of entangle) GAME: Thurid rolls weapon1+2: (10)+5+2: 17
Thurid is clearly becoming frustrated- and fatigued- as she continues to swing that massive hammer around. The glowing head of it comes crashing down- right next to the sheep creature, once again failing to land a strike on him as it is rebounded by his charred but still supernaturally durable wool. "We aren't making any headway!" she shouts, "Perhaps we can force it back through the portal!" she bellows.
GAME: Thurid rolls reflex: (19)+2: 21 GAME: Tenoc rolls Reflex: (13)+8: 21
The plants continue to grow, those already trapped become worse. The others remain free.
<OOC> Glasha says, "Chuck smash, Glasha retreat." <OOC> Glasha says, "20' farther away for Glasha." GAME: Glasha rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21 GAME: Glasha rolls 1d6+5: (5)+5: 10
Glasha turns, wading through entangling flora as Chuck continues attempting to wail on the demon. Without the distraction of acid blobs not hitting, the elemental smashes that stony, mace-like hand against the demon. Once she's out of the entanglement, Glasha looks back at the solid hit as she runs another ten feet before stopping, turning and facing the action once more.
<OOC> Tenoc says, "Disarm. Provokes AoO, but must be done!" <OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "Okay, he does his aoo on yoo." GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (15)+4: 19 (Sheep Demon AOO) GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d20+9+2: (2)+9+2: 13
WHAM! comes the heavy head of the crook; Tenoc staggers before the blow, and if it were possible for a Sith to go green beneath his scales... or grey... he would. The torment is there, the fluffiness, the tension..... A steamkettle hiss emerges from the Makar's mouth, rumbling as his gaze refocuses on the demon with a burning fury. Unfurling from the magic's twisting grip, he steps forward again-- this time, not at the bearer but at the staff itself, a snarling rage as he bears the dark blade down on the crooked staff-- *badly* missing, as the malignant transforming magic assails bone and muscle, as fingers refuse to respond for endless seconds. That magic *hurts*, threatening to twist bone in every, agonizing way!
GAME: Pasithea rolls melee-1: (4)+2+-1: 5 <OOC> Pasithea says, "Nibblenibble." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "best enemy-ally ever"
Woolithea shifts to the other leg thinking, in her hazey sheep thoughts, that it might be a thiner scale there. Sadly this is not the case as she shifts her massage session over to the other side.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+4: (7)+4: 11
The sheep demon 'baaaas' at Tenoc as he swipes for his shepherd's crook. If the sith wants it, he can have it! A viscious strick is aimed at the greenscales head...
... and misses. The sheep demon distracted by his wooly ally's weird nibbling.
GAME: Thurid rolls weapon2+2: (11)+5+2: 18 GAME: Thurid rolls damage1: aliased to 3d6+6: (6)+6: 12 <OOC> Thurid says, "No special materials, but bypasses DR/Good"
Thurid grunts as she adjusts her grip on the hammer that is resting in the dirt, She bends her knees, her muscles sweell, and she upswings the mighty hammer directly into the demon's elongated jaw, smashing bone and teeth and spilling its foul blood on the heather.
GAME: Pasithea rolls reflex: (4)+4: 8 GAME: Tenoc rolls Reflex: (4)+8: 12 GAME: Thurid rolls reflex: (17)+2: 19
Darn grasses just get in everywhere.
GAME: Glasha rolls 1d20+7: (9)+7: 16 GAME: Glasha casts Invisibility. Caster Level: 4 DC: 18
Now free from the grabbing branches, Glasha begins posing and speaking in ways the humanoid body shouldn't be able to as Chuck swings at the sheep demon. Glasha vanishes, and the Earth Elemental's follow-through is insane, as its arm completely detatches from its body. The stones all lose coherence, falling to the ground in a shower of soil and roots that had gotten caught up in the formation of the elemental.
GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d20+9+2-2: (11)+9+2+-2: 20
Tenoc struggles, trembles, brow gleaming with fierce rage. Eyes refocusing with luck-- just time enough to dive down, to duck the swining crook!
- And to give an absent, quick pat to Woolithea's head.
"Sssk, practice more," he remarks to the halfling-cum-sheep. "Be bitey and strong someday!" He grins at the Shepherd, teeth gleaming; he snarls in relish as Thurid's blow lands home-- grinning more as the power shatters through the demon shepherd's defenses, even for a moment!
The Makar steals the moment-- he surges forward, struggling through the grasses, the entangling, unnaturally clinging heather; he roars with furious gusto, eyes blazing. He *wants * that crook-- and strikes again to make it so! Deftness exchanged for brute force-- he slams his strike down against the staff, smashing it from the demon's hands straight to the floor!
- ....though saving deftness to sidestep Terror Ewe's disastrous nibblings!
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Woolithea!" <OOC> Pasithea says, "NOM!" GAME: Pasithea rolls melee-1: (16)+2+-1: 17
Woolithea nibbles a bit lower.. no. Higher? No.. damn it! Where on these legs is a soft spot! She huffs a bah and glowers at Tenoc's knees.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "he tries to pick up his thing! So, AOOs if you got them." GAME: Tenoc rolls 1d20+9+2-2: (12)+9+2+-2: 21 GAME: Thurid rolls weapon1+2: (20)+5+2: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Thurid rolls weapon1+2: (19)+5+2: 26 (Confirmed) GAME: Thurid rolls 9d6+18: (21)+18: 39
'Baaaa!'-ing loudly, the Sheep Demon reaches for his crook. He's gonna teach...
"Yes!" Thurid calls out as Tenoc manages to strike the crook from the creature's hand, as it stoops to pick it back, she howls, "No. You. DON'T!" at him. She takes a half step forwards- the hammer still held aloft from her previous up swing. Her shoulders flex and her biceps bulge, the veins in her neck and on her temple pulse and her eyes flash with holy might as she turns the massive momentum of the man-sized lump of metal at the end of her earthshaker back towards the creature.
It strikes his horns- first- and they shatter under the force of it. But the hammer does not even slow down. The demon is driven to its knees, and then smashed into the ground with enough force to spray viscera all over those in the immediate vicnity- his top half no longer recognizable as that of a living creature, and his hoofed and wolly lower half left twitching.
To the sheep: Daddy-God is dead!
Woolithea is splattered by dad! She bleats out in surprise, blinks at the mess and then meanders over to a clean spot of heather and begins to nibble at the still writhing grasses.
Tenoc grins when the opening comes. Drives back, ready to--
- To...!
The gush of viscera jerks the Makar to a halt, blinking as he stares at the spray of blood, staring at the downed Demon SHepherd, now half the being he used to be.
Tenoc chuffs, grin belying his words. "Ssssk. But one wanted those horns!"
The body twitches. There is blood everywhere, and stink. Yellow-ish gore was part of that unpleasant splash. The twitching... slowly stops. He is definitely dead.
GAME: Thurid rolls fort: (15)+5: 20 GAME: Tenoc rolls Fortitude: (8)+9: 17 GAME: Pasithea rolls fort: (6)+3: 9
Thurid hefts her hammer in both hands back out of the bloody crater that used to be the fiend, and rests it on her shoulder, goop still dripping from the weapon, demonic blood sizzling away from the glowing engravings on it. She glances towards the demonic sheep, no longer agressive, "I was hoping she would turn back." she admits then, and eyes the crook. "Should I try smashing it? What if that doesn't work?" she asks Tenoc then. While she had wrinkled her nose and gagged at the thought that these sheep corpses were once human, apparently being covered from the waist down in chunks of demon is a less repulsive thought for her.
In the aftermath, the situation can be re-assessed. The rose coloured dome on the hill reaches out to the edge of it, but keeps near the ground, near ten feet or so. Higher at the peak, but possible for Thurid to find a place to push her head through.
The doorway, portal, whatever it is that floats in the middle of the infernal circle remains open. It's strangely two dimensional, perhaps it's a cylinder, no matter what facing one has looking at it, it always appears as a rectangle, and through it the colours are more vibrant. There are more infernal sheep grazing on the other side. Some rams, some ewes, even lambs. These look infected also, and don't appear to 'see' the portal itself. Or perhaps can't comprehend what they are looking at.
Glasha's voice calls out from beyond the edge of the brambles. "Wow!" she exclaims. "That was just...wow!" She's still not at all visible when her voice comes from a slightly different spot. "Okay, can someone dismiss these brambles so I can look at the circles again? I want to make sure we're done here before we take the sheep to the nearest cleric for curse removal.
The brambles aren't dismissed but a few minutes later they go away on their own, revealing the original hillside with its patchy foliage. The circles are much clearer.
Tenoc glowers down at the corpse of the demon, glancing back towards the shepherd's Gate with a rumble. "..sssk. One does not know," he admits, eyes turning back. He blinks in surprise, eyes searching for source of sound!
- ...it *sounds* like Glasha, but can one be sure?
"...likely," he says guardedly, eyesing the air cautiously. Grinning once the brambles fade-- still keeping awary eye on the portal cylinder. No telling what else might emerge!
<OOC> Thurid was down to 5 uses, so 2 more will put me at 3. GAME: Thurid rolls 2d6: (9): 9 GAME: Thurid rolls 2d6: (3): 3
The sheep don't seem to be coming through on their own, or seeing you. Are sheep on other side transformed peoples? Any villages nearby suddenly vanished of populatipon?
No one is sure, especially Tenoc.
With the thrill of the battle fading away, Thurid spends some time to say some words of prayer to her god once more- calling not for strength, this time, but for healing. With the head of her hammer sitting on her shoulder, she grips the icon of faith about her neck and hefts it up, sending out two pulses of light to wash over her allies, and seal their wounds. With that done- while she has a moment before her earlier giant-form spell fades away, she will attempt to take a closer look at- and through- the bubble surrounding them.
Glasha moves up to the summoning circle. She can't be seen, but she says, "Okay, I'm close. Please don't step on me. I'm going to look at the circle again. Normally, a summoning circle like this would be broken by even a hair over it, so all this viscera on it not breaking it tells me there's more going on here. Okay, let's comb the area and rebuild the binding circle. We need to contain this."
GAME: Glasha casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 4 DC: 16 GAME: Glasha rolls Spellcraft+2: (18)+13+2: 33
The crook turns people into sheep if it touches them. It's not safe to pick up unless one is a Sheep Demon. It might be possible, if one is skilled with using magical devices, to convince the staff it is being touched by a Sheep Demon. Otherwise, en-sheep-ening. Breaking it, should break the enchantment.
Glasha speaks that eldritch and presumably gestures unseen in her invisibility. "Okay, nobody touch that. Thurid, can you smash that thing like you did the demon who held it? That should break the enchantment if my experience is correct."
Tenoc eyes the staff, taking two steps well back from the crook. No need for shards, splinters, bits of Evilly Not-Delicious fragments to fly from the soon-to-be crater!
Thurid nods her head, and she comes back over after having peeking outside of the thing- and shrinking back to a 'measly' seven feet tall. "Gladly." she says, lifting her hammer up overhead, and bringing it down ontop of the crook, snapping it clean in two with one fell strike.
As the shepherd's crook is struck, the enchantments within it are undone, and the enchantments without unravel in twists of magic which are strangely both sylvan and infernal.
Woolithea feels a change, a world of incomprehension rushing towards her. Complexities upon complexities, anxiety and pain. Terrors untold
Then she's on her hands and knees with her head in the heather and a sprig of it in her mouth, along with memories of life being much simpler and sheepier. Through the portal, the other sheep ... remain sheep. Perhaps they weren't once people.
Perhaps it's permanent, if left too long.
Pasithea spits out the heather and stands up woppily, one eye open way wide the other half shut as the sleepiness returns. She lets out a scream and begins to scamper away from the hilltop and then falls on all fours again to throw up the contents of her stomach and the grass she managed to eat.
GAME: Glasha rolls spellcraft+2: (17)+13+2: 32
The portal is not stable. It's going to twist back into the jagged shapes seen earlier. No idea on the timeline for that. Might stay open for days, hours or minutes. Depends on the strength of the caster and the sacrifice.
Glasha picks up the pieces of the staff...apparently, since they just disappear. "Seriously, I'm not leaving until the binding is completed again. We need to hurry. The portal isn't stable. I don't have a timeline, but best guess is it's going to go back into how it looked before. The weird demi-portal strands. I'm not risking going through it and getting stuck there, let alone going through and being stuck there while something else gets out. Help me," she requests while invisible, making body language and facial expressions of determination or desperation meaningless.
Tenoc rumbles in simple sympathy; a glance towards Thurid and he nods, hefting his spear against his shoulder, striding over towards the beleagured halfling.
"Come," he says with great care, kneeling down to collect the poor woman into his arms. Perhaps undignified-- but the great lizard proceeds to think it better to carry over than to let walk, however unhooved-- or unsteady! Toneless, he nods towards Glasha-- first, to carry Pasi over to Thurid's helpful (hopefully!) gracse, then back to the task-- finding proper stones!
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods and nods, "Can someone clear a DC25 with the take20?" <OOC> Thurid says, "I can, as can Tenoc, I believe." <OOC> Tenoc nods. "Take 20 yields me a 30." <OOC> Pasithea says, "I only get a 23 :P"
The lucht does not complain as she is lifted by the scaely one. How could she complain when she was just trying to bite his legs a minute ago. She manages not to heave up anything else with the disturbing thought or rememberances. For looking for the stones she's completely useless as she rides out her distress.
Thurid nods her head in the general direction of the voice, "I found one of the missing stones." she says, producing it from her pouch, "Before that thing came through." she tells the invisible one, holding it out for her. Protected from splatterings by her leather pouch, thankfully, although perhaps not from fingerprints.
Her attention turns to Pasi, then, at the scream and subsequent retching. She sets her hammer down, for the time being, and heads over to see if there's ought she can do for the Lucht, even if it's only to offer a drink of water. Once she is settled to the best of the clerics ability, she will join the others in the search for the remaining stones.
After depositing the poor woman, Tenoc is quick to work, careful-- with the proper guidance from Glasha, the search is smooth, running evenly and sure. Occasionally, he finds a stone that might have been one of the originals, if marred and worked over; rumbling, he leaves the stone for Glasha's critical eye, collecting the orbs and returning them to her in good time. The rest spent watching, gazing, eyes cold as he glances back towards the undisturbed rent in the world.
Some time passes- the mess of the battle and the writhing, violent growth of the heather and the flames have done no favors for helping to find the stones, but by carefully picking through the remnants little by little, she finds a couple more, bringing them to Glasha so that she may arrange them appropriately.
Glasha begins the work as they find stone after stone. Her invisibility runs out in a few minutes, but she continues to work feverishly. Eventually, she says, "We'll need some magical energy into this to get it running," she says. She works from best guesses, but it seems to be accurate as she directs people to do this or that. By nightfall, the barrier is complete once more. Glasha's sholders hang as she groans, rubbing her forehead. This was a busy day for her.
It takes some time to find all the stones. The day grows into afternoon, then late afternoon. The shadows lengthen. Before that hour is reached, Glasha's prediction come true. Without warning the portal wavers, the dome that covers the hill shatters and the sections of it twist and shrink, warping back into the jagged shards they were before. The rectangle scrunches up as well, and the circle around it stops glowing.
That a human life, if the sheep were originally human, should power it for such a short time is distressing. One would hope there would be more weight to a soul.
Although it is punching through the fabric of reality to another.
Eventually, all the rocks are found. Some were covered in dried blood, others were face down, under a bush. They're unremarkable when their sigil face isn't showing, and they're not exactly perfect rectangles either. Something bashed seven of them out of arrangement, but it's easy enough to replace.
The half-oruch directs her ritual, and raw magic energy is pumped into them. It's a little like channeling in Thurid's experience, and more like collecting the mana for a cantrip and letting it bleed away for the others. The chanting, the gestures, it has to work.
Finally, it does! There's a brief glow on each stone, then what seems to be an hour hand circling the clock face. It's followed by a pulse.
The ground drops.
The red shards twist one more time. Almost to vanishing, almost to crooked slivers. The largest at the peak, has become so tight it's impossible to see through it now.
So maybe the door remains open a crack, but it's got one heck of a spike holding it closed.
When the ground drops out from under her Pasithea shrieks again, coming awake from where she was sitting. Her eyes are wide and she's panting. Getting up she wobbles and starts heading away, forgetting her spear or not worried about anything but heading back to town.
GAME: Thurid takes ten on spellcraft: (10)+6: 16
Thurid holds out large hands to steady herself as the ground drops. As Pasi begins fleeing, she jogs along- stooping to grab the discarded weapon and follow after the Lucht to make sure that she doesn't get into any further trouble on the way home. And also, because she wants to get somewhere with any sort of water to clean herself off on. Infernal goop is sticky when it dries.
Tenoc lets Pasi get a few dozen feet before he strides up from behind, quick to scoop her up again. Protests are as blithely ignored as before-- the Makar is stoic as he marches with her added weight. "You will be carried," he remarks with scaly finality. "Sssk. Rest. As you can. This one will watch. And carry."
The others regroup with the party and follow them out. The hill remains behind, falling into darkness with the fading sunlight. The forest is dark as well, and not friendly, but with the skills of the druid and rangers there is no chance of getting lost.
Only a long walk out past infected trees, leaving behind memories one might wish to swiftly bury. Or burn.
The place could use some more fire.
Combatty Stuff
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 8 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
18 Pasithea 1
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18 Tenoc 3
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12 Demon Sheep 1
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>> 11 Sheep Demon 1 <<
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8 Thurid 1
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7 Havi 3
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3 Glasha 1
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==============================================================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Name | CHP (T) | HP |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Glasha........| 23 | 23 |
| Havi..........| 13 | 14 |
| Pasithea......| 5 | 13 |
| Tenoc.........| 33 | 56 |
| Thurid........| 25 | 25 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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| Name | Race | Class | CHP | HP | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
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|Glasha |HALF-ORC |Wiz | 23 | 23 |11/10/11 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
|Pasithea |HALFLING |Sor | 5 | 13 |14/11/14 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
|Tenoc |SITH-MAKAR|Mnk/Rgr | 33 | 56 |21/19/18 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 3 |
|Thurid |GIANTBORN |Clr | 25 | 25 |17/16/11 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
|Havi |HUMAN |Dru | 13 | 14 |16/14/12 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
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https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/animals/man-eating-ewe/
OOC Stuff
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I also had a observation that no map/my descriptions were confusing, so I'll try to explain my mini map when it starts a little better."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I have asked and I have recieved a clarification. On Summon Nature's Ally, Is it a full round of casting and does the mob appear on the round you cast, or the next round?'
Per Whirlpool: It appears when you complete the spell, so on the start of your next action. Same as enlarge person, you are enlarged when then spell completes on your turn :) Confirming: a casting and when the initiative rolls around again, then it the critter pops. Whirlpool: Correct :)"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I understand this to mean you're casting the whole time, and off turn damage requires concentration rolls to keep doing it."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Per last time, There are a lot of players in this scene. I like one round of combat to go by per hour, so that means 8-9 minutes or so per person. If I have to step away for a minute I'll 'ooc afk'. If it's coming up on your turn and you think you might have to, please do also. If your init comes up and five minutes go by and I haven't heard I'll move to the next person. If you get skipped that way, rather than step back and possibly undo other player actions I'll move you lower on the init stack. Hopefully this will keep things moving."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Finally, I have had coffee, and eaten, but I think I'm getting sick and feel crappy. Tragedy is easy, comedy is hard."
<OOC> Thurid says, "https://www.mipui.net/"
<OOC> Tenoc says, "...still terrified about mammal lack of egg-laying practices. WORLD RUINED."
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "Also, it's around hill, with the shard right at the top. Things higher on the hill get an attacking advantage of +1. To visualize, think clock, and give me the time and distance in feet you want to be from the portal in 5' increments. Hopefully this makes for an easier map to understand. ie: 12 oclock 30'