PrP: Milk Run
They said it was easy. Or at least that's what the notice at the Explorer's Guild said. A milk run. Only it turned out to be literal. A wizard is doing work in transmutational biothaumaturgical growth and he needs at least a quart of manticore's milk. At the very least, he used his magics and sources to find a nursing manticoress near the redwall mountains, which also happen to have been plaguing cattle drives for the most altruistic minded amongst you.
But it's winter, you're on a mountain with a map scribbled by a toothless drunk miner that swears he saw the creature steal his best goat, freezing your respective asses (or artificial equivelant thereof for Vroole) off on a trail just wide enough for you to walk one by one, heading for this cave.
Kroth grunts as they climb in the cold, "This is a test of Angoron, he has sent the weather to challenge me, and I shall not fail." He nods emphatically....though he does shiver a little bit.
Stirling trudges on in his thick boots, the smoke from his furnace lost in the howling wind. "Then he shall not find me wanting. No Ironheel has ever been defeated by a hard march." he says grimly, his sturdy form like a windbreak in the blowing snow.
A chance to escape the city and go plunging through the wilderness, hunting down monsters, would normally be a godsend in Alba's mind. However, this being her first winter away from the Dune Sea, the Veyshanti has... not... acclimated well. Her normal clothing utterly inadequate to the task of keeping her warm, two cloaks have been thrown on; one dark wool, one little more than a roughly-hacked-into-shape shaggy pelt, both of which have been kept closed whenever possible. Between the heavy fur, and the carved-bone mask, one would think that an un-humanoid creature travels alongside the intrepid party... but no specter ever showed focus enough to keep up a running, barely-audible string of complaints over the entirety of the trip to the Redwalls.
Amithil wraps her cloak around herself for the trip, to be sure, to be that much warmer, including in said location. She'll reflexively go in back, sine what she can do she can do from back here. "This strikes me as the easy part, dealing with the cold. Actually doing the milking strikes me as the greater challenge."
GAME: Amithil rolls knowledge/arcana: (5)+10: 15
GAME: Vroole rolls Knowledge/arcana: (7)+11: 18
GAME: Stirling rolls knowledge/arcana: (4)+11: 15
You paged Amithil with 'You know they can fire four volleys from their tails a day before they have to wait for new spines to grow in.
You paged Vroole with 'Manticores can interbreed with most lions and lion-based creatures such as griffons, lamia, and chimera.'
You paged Stirling with 'They aren't graceful fliers but can often beat their wings hard enough to hover in place as well as make attack passes.'
Easily enough trudging through snow for the Artificer war golem. Perhaps more so at times being more dangerous as Vroole sometimes forgot he was as easily in trouble in all environments, just often felt it less unless in extremes. But it isn't that bad yet this early into the winter, more it was the heights they were attaining for most others, so not having to really breathe helped in that regard more. "Indeed... Has anyone here ever milked a cow? Much less a Manticore?"
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d5: (5): 5
GAME: Stirling rolls perception: (5)+8: 13
GAME: Amithil rolls perception: (19)+3: 22
GAME: Alba rolls perception: (3)+7: 10
GAME: Kroth rolls perception: (8)+7: 15
GAME: Vroole rolls perception: (17)+7: 24
GAME: Amithil rolls reflex: (16)+1: 17
GAME: Kroth rolls reflex: (11)+4: 15
GAME: Gareth rolls 4d6: (12): 12
GAME: Gareth rolls 4d6: (10): 10
GAME: You damaged Amithil for 12 points. 1 remaining.
GAME: You damaged Kroth for 10 points. 5 remaining.
Discussing what you know of manticores among yourselves, you all continue along up the mountain. Luckily, it's not supposed to be so high up that the air thins, but it's close. You wind your way up the peak for almost three hours before you draw near an outcropping that surrounds the mouth of a cave. The chewed bones of both animal and humanoid littered around the outside indicates you're in the right place. But apparently, the ledge your on isn't much in use by the manticoress.
The winds and the crunch of the snow must have masked the weakening sounds of the stone as the first three of you past over it. With a rumbling noise, a large section of ledge gives way and both Kroth and Amithil disappear. Fortunately enough, they don't fall all the way down the mountain, landing on another outcropping some 40 feet below with the rest of the rubble and snow. From what you can see at least, they are moving.
GAME: Kroth rolls acrobatics: (1)+7: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
Amithil lands with a cry. She doesn't want to move, hurt very badly. With a grunt, she puts her arm up, to signal to the others where she is, though the groan that comes after that may also be a clue.
Stirling quickly scans the sky for trouble but not seeing any pulls out a bundle of rope "Watch the skies, I will pull them up." he says in a curt clipped tone to Vroole and Alba as he starts lowering rope to the fallen two "Tie it around your waist!" he bellows.
Kroth seems suprised, slipping, he quickly jumps for another rock...of course, the rock he lands on breaks free from his weight and he tumbles down, slamming to the ground. ooph. "Angoron is laughing at me....definatly laughing." He climbs to his feet."
"Frozen water falls from the clouds, and rock that falls into them" Alba mutters sourly, "this land is utterly mad." While she turns to watch the skies behind them -- and not incidentally put her back to the breeze -- a pair of small, insectile claws peek out from beneath her cloak, flexing fitfully. "...Quiet, you. I will not leave."
"If you need assistance Stirling, do not fail to ask for it." Vroole speaks and he looks around, drawing his death ray just in case it might be needed to ward off anything not related to weather. Narrow pass, bad weather, three people already down with one haloing the other two and all.
As you take stock of injuries, scan the skies, and ready rope to climb, there is a growl from inside the cave mouth, "Gh-gh-gh-gh...GONE! BEGONE!" a throaty, entirely inhuman voice screams from the cave, followed shortly by a blur of black rimmed membranous wings, white fangs, and yellowish-orange fur as the manticore takes wing in a running bound from the outcropping, gaining distance and altitude as it ceases speaking and starts shrieking in anger at the intruders. It won't be but a few moments before it finishes the wide arcing turn and returns!
Amithil forces herself to reach for the rope, and to try to follow the instruction. Letting out a groan with every move, breathing a little labored in the moment, she does her best get on her hands and knees, and crawl over to the rope. That'll let her get a hand on it for starters. Then the Manticore does its thing, whcih she moves her head to try to watch, and that becomes the more immediate concern. So instead of holding the rope she decides she's going to Shield herself.
GAME: Amithil casts Shield. Caster Level: 2 DC: 16
Kroth turns from starting to climb, then growls as the creature takes flight. He grabs a potion from his pouches and downs the drink, a blue shimmer around his body for an instant as it takes effect.
GAME: Kroth used a Potion.
Alba whirls around, eyes tracking the manticore as she takes to the wing. "Hhh... Of course it shall fly," she grouses, running a fingernail over the scorpion's back. A whispered word of power, and a skin of transparent energy settles over her, shimmering in the thin light of the mountaintop.
GAME: Alba casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 1 DC: 14
And the sound and optimum showing of the Manticore has Vroole nodding, "Predictable..." his armor begins to whir, glow and spin into the configuration for adding stability to his shots and his hand goes into a pouch, pulling out a small gear like object that he presses to the base of his throat, energies flaring up and around his eyes, the mark and eyes of a fox with clock faces for eyes as it begins to count down the minutes the spell he cast in how long it will last, Fox's Cunning indeed, a new thing he had recently acquired for one of his contraptions.
GAME: Vroole casts Fox's Cunning. Caster Level: 4 DC: 17
Stirling nods to Vroole as he waits for one of the fallen to tie themselves into the rope. However when the Manticore shows he draws a metal disk from a pouch and affixes it to his armor. "Come get me bastard!" he bellows into the wind.
GAME: Stirling casts Shield. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
---Init--Name----------------Notes--------------------------------------------
17 Alba Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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10 Vroole Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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9 Amithil Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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8 Stirling Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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7 Manticoress
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3 Kroth Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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GAME: Vroole rolls ranged + 2 - 12: (10)+5+2-12: 5
It was a shot in a million, but with two of the party not up there with them, Vroole takes the chance. His death ray spits out the icy death, seeking out, trying to hit the Manticore and even a slight miscalculation sends the ray passing by the dangerous flying bird thing.
Amithil feels better now that she's shielded. OK not better, less vulnerable. So she orients the shield in the general direction of the roaring, and starts tying the rope around herself so that she can be helped on up. As tempting as it is to stay down here until the Manticore is no longer a problem, she'd better not.
GAME: Stirling rolls strength+2: (14)+4+2: 20
Stirling takes firm grip of the rope in both hands just as the furnace on his back starts belching black smoke and the cables to his Titanfists vibrate with power. Swiftly he begins to pull Amithil up hand over hand, luckily the elf weighs very little.
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+8: (12)+8: 20
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+8: (11)+8: 19
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+8: (5)+8: 13
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+8: (10)+8: 18
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d6+5: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: You damaged Alba for 6 points. 8 remaining.
While there seems to largely be trouble reaching out to the manticore at that distance, she seems to have no trouble doing the same. At least in theory. The half ton beast lurches forward, massive wings beating as the long tail of the beast whips forward, sending a volley of crossbow spikes out with surprising precision. One shatters on Stirling's and Vroole's armor, while the latter dodges a second, but one digs into Alba's side.
Kroth grumbles, looking up, then starts scrambling up the side of the mountain to join the others, he moves pretty fast as he is fairly agile. He makes a good deal of distance.
Alba staggers backward, clutching at the bloody spike puncturing her side. Her mask turns toward the diving creature, and the Veyshanti looses a defiant shriek. "STUPID CREATURE, HOW FAST CAN IT FLY?!" To answer why she would even ask such a thing, the woman turns, cloak straming behind her as she darts into the cave mouth, one dagger out and glittering before it gts swallowed up by the shadows.
GAME: Vroole rolls ranged + 2 + -8: (6)+5+2++-8: 5
Again Vroole takes a shot as the winged creature of lion and such death wings in, spikes rattling off his armor, a silent prayer to Reos for that one and the power he has granted to the Artificer. Its enough though of a ding to make his next shot at 150 feet out that the shot is still off, "Blasted birds and mountainsides... Let me hit this thing."
Amithil gets her wits about her a little better as she's hefted on up to the higher ledge. Not able to do much, lacking the brute strength to climb up on her own, she does her best to focus, and does what she knows best: casts. Her arms move a bit, but she tries not to gesticulate too madly, so as not to interrupt Stirling.
GAME: Amithil rolls 1d20 + 2 + 5: (11)+2+5: 18
GAME: Amithil casts Protection From Evil. Caster Level: 2 DC: 16
GAME: Stirling rolls strength+2: (17)+4+2: 23
Stirling keeps pulling on the rope, steady and calm, hand over hand despite being shot at. Its just another war zone and he's taking things one step at a time. First step is getting the wizards sorted as he pulls Amithil over the edge.
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+8: (2)+8: 10
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+8: (11)+8: 19
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+8: (7)+8: 15
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d6+5: (3)+5: 8
GAME: You damaged Alba for 8 points. 0 remaining. (DISABLED)
"BITCH LEAVE CAVE!" The manticoress screams in broken, guttural common, wings beating just a bit faster as she closes in. Another whip of the tail focuses all of her fury at Alba as she ducks inside the cave, with three of the quills shattering or lodging in the stone walls, while the last thumps into the Veyshanti's shoulder, fabric pooling red.
GAME: Kroth rolls climb: (19)+7: 26
Kroth is scrambling up the side of the mountain, and yells out, "Get to tha caaaave! It has to land to fight!" He makes it just to the top as he finishes yelling, pulling himself to stand on the ledge.
The second spike to impact Alba throws her off her feet and into a short tumble. Blood pooling beneath her, she manages to summon enough strength to push herself onto her back, raising her head enough to shriek in answer, "BITCH EAT BABIES!"
GAME: Vroole rolls ranged + 2 + -6: (18)+5+2++-6: 19
GAME: Vroole rolls 2d6 + 5 + 2: (6)+5+2: 13
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+9: (10)+9: 19
Vroole stands his ground, or more back to rock for the rock man, firing off another frost ray and scoring across the Manticores chest, the fethers frosting over a little. Course this was a tough bird and it was going to take more than that to deal with it.
Amithil gets away from the edge, because falling once is bad enough. She then does her gesturing and muttering thing, creating a large walking eagle, going toward the cave. She tries to make it look hungry with sharp claws.
GAME: Amithil casts Silent Image. Caster Level: 2 DC: 16
GAME: Stirling casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 5 DC: 14
GAME: Stirling rolls 1d8+5: (2)+5: 7
Stirling pulls out a steel syringe with a very large sharp needle and sticks it in Amithil's shoulder. "Everyone to the cave." he says firmly as he pushes the plunger down before walking to the cave himself with another even larger syringe for Alba.
GAME: You damaged Amithil for -7 points. 8 remaining.
Between Alba's scream of defiance and the illusory eagle that has just appeared, the Manticore isn't taking any chances. Abandoning the tactic of pelting the adventurers from afar, her frost-beaten wings hit a frenzied pace as 1,000 lbs of angry beast swoops forward. She lands with a crash of snow and rock kicked up, back legs hanging onto the edge of the ledge while the front tear into the non-existent eagle. "KILL ALL!" She shrieks, turning to face Vroole now that the ruse is up.
GAME: Kroth rolls acrobatics: (9)+7: 16
GAME: Kroth rolls melee+1+2: (1)+4+1+2: 8 (EPIC FAIL)
Kroth takes a few running steps then leaps into the air, trying to come down with a mighty kick at the beast, but the creature manages to shift at the last moment and buffet him with a wing, making him land and roll to the side without a solid hit.
GAME: Vroole rolls 2d6 + 5 + 2 + 1: (4)+5+2+1: 12
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+9: (6)+9: 15
As the manticore lands on the ledge and Kroth charges up, Vroole steps back and rakes the creature with another deadly frost ray. more of the feathers and meat under it icing up some more and this time its a staggering hit. He hopes it helps as the thing is still standing.
GAME: Amithil casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 2 DC: 16
GAME: Amithil rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
Amithil stays put, right where she is, not getting any closer. She left her Eagle for 'dead' as soon as it got attacked, and got ready to cast the one more useful spell she has for this situation. And well, it's not much, but it's something. A few gestures, different from Alba's gesture, and some magic words later, and she's doing her best to fling a missile at her face, but anywhere is fine.
Stirling grimaces as ths Manticore blocks the cave, putting the syringe away he walks up to it and throws a left hook into the abdomen. "Move you son of a seacow, your in my way."
GAME: Stirling rolls melee+2+1: (12)+7+2+1: 22
GAME: Kroth rolls melee+1: (7)+4+1: 12
GAME: Stirling rolls 2D6+6+1: (5)+6+1: 12
GAME: Gareth rolls 1d20+12: (18)+12: 30
GAME: Stirling rolls climb+2: (5)+3+2: 10
GAME: Gareth rolls 4d6: (6): 6
GAME: You damaged Stirling for 6 points. 48 remaining.
Screaming in pain, the Manticoress is riddled with frostbite, bruises, and broken bones, most recently from the Hobgoblin, "HARD MEAT IS CRUSHED!" it screeches and lays a massive paw on Stirling, earning another vicious punch in the chest from his titanfists but with one heavy shove the hobgoblin is sent sailing in the air, luckily landing on the ledge below without tumbling the rest of the way down the mountain. A small snowdrift absorbs most of the impact, leaving Stirling with only severe bruising.
GAME: Kroth rolls melee+1-2-1: (5)+4+1+-2+-1: 7
GAME: Kroth rolls melee+1-2-1: (1)+4+1+-2+-1: 3 (EPIC FAIL)
Angoron is definatly laughing at Kroth today, sure he had a few moments, but apparently the gods are being amused by his failures. He keeps throwing attacks but none of them land, one nearly making him fall.
GAME: Vroole rolls ranged + 2 + 1: (11)+5+2+1: 19
GAME: Vroole rolls 2d6 + 5 + 2 + 1: (11)+5+2+1: 19
Vroole watches as the big birdie thing slams into Stirling and knocks him down the mountain, a huge puff of snow and there isn't time to wonder if he is alright with the Manticire still moving. Frosty death sweeps out again and the bird stops in its tracks as most of the ray frost over its head, eye glazing over, passing on to the other side, "Might be a little corny if I yelled out freeze at this point."
Stirling climbs out of the hole in the snow bank, black smoke still rising from his furnace. "Hey, toss me a rope!" he calls up.
Amithil unties the rope from herself, then offers it up. "I um, don't think I could lift him." Looking over at the dead creature, she adds "Well, if nobody else is really practiced at milking an animal, I guess I could try."
Vroole watches as what they came for is milked out, helping up Stirling and tosses a wirly, fan like opbject over one of Alba's wounds to stop the bleeding.
With the manticoress subdued and the party reunited and mended as necessary, now comes the hard part. Milking a dead manticore...while it's babies watch? Four cubs, each the size of a small dog poke their head out of the mouth of the cave, looking all cute and Simba-sad. At least until they start shrieking profanities at you and hurling toothpick like sized spikes from their tiny widdle tails. Aww! Annoying but not deadly, you deal with them in the appropriate consequence free way of your moral choosing, cause Whirl and Lahar ain't gonna let you raise no Manticore to ride on. The bottle is filled and your job is finished, so now it's just a matter of making your way back down the mountain and delivering the product, which is ultimately uneventful, if tedious and cold. And awkward as hell as the wizard that hired you tastes it for quality. Ugh.
Luckily, when they get back, and the milk is tasted for quality, Alba's mask hides her disgust. "...It is decided, then," she mutters, turning and stalking out of the wizard's laboratory. "I shall endure the city until the water no longer freezes."