Strange Gaze, pt2-Greatwood VP

Log Info

• Title: Strange Gaze, pt2
• Emitter: Jinks
• Characters: Ravenstongue, Shilde, Skielstregar, Telamon, Vaera
• Place: Feypool, the Greatwood
• Time: Sunday, January 30, 2022, 11:00 AM
• Summary: The group makes sure Ikshama-of-Hers is attended to be her assistant before leaving. They find themselves adrift in a fantastical world not entirely bound by the rules of Ea. Tracks of a lost warden are followed through the wilderness into the borderlands of the First World and they find a forsaken shrine atop an empty lake.

The group ventures into the muddy and icy depression only to be assaulted by mystical waters. They combat aggressive fey before retrieving the lost eye of the tortured nymph. The five Alexandrian mercenaries are returned to the prime material to collect their thoughts and consider their next steps.

• Encounter 1, CR 7 XP3600
  • (3) Boggart (CR4, XP1200 ea)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  At a glance around PrP Room: Two  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ravenstongue         5'0"     99 Lb      Half-Elf          Female    Short half-elf girl with violet eyes and black hair.                       
Shilde               4'4"     160 Lb     Khazad-Aul        Female    Tall for a dwarf, long blonde hair in a thick braid, big blue eyes.        
Skielstregar         7'2"     330 Lb     Sith-Makar        Male      A bronze/silver scale with fangs and empty eyes.                           
Telamon              5'6"     140 Lb     Half-Elf          Male      A platinum-blond half-sil man with dancing dark eyes                       
Vaera                7'0"     262 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A tall, dark red Makari with a metallic leg.                              
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  As the GM  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jinks               3'4"     39 Lb      Gnome             Male      A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry.                                
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Ikshama-of-Hers is left in her throne, elbows resting on its arms as she continues to trace the tattooed circles she can no longer see. She accepts Telamon's offer, asking he retrieve her assistant so that they might return to work while the mercenaries venture into the wild. She does a poor job of hiding her sorrow even if she makes a point to remain poised and professional in her speech.

Pol stands outside but nearby, torn between quitting this corner of the camp entirely to retire to his tent and remaining on hand to observe his duties in spite of the site-primary's attitude. He can't help but smirk when Telamon requests his return, though he makes an attempt to smother his smugness before skulking back inside. "I am he in service, Her-of-Hers," he calls with a gesture half-obscured by his back.

With the assistant gone you're left on the ridge above the crystal lake, frozen in a powerful vortex for millennia. The camp's namesake: the Feypool. Before Ygdrassil was damaged and before the Sildanyari cut their ties to the first world this may have been a bridge. A portal.

Now it's an old and half-forgotten sculpture being dug up from the ground.

You leave the camp, heading west towards the yrchtaint recently addressed by three of your number. The path was easy to follow before but now there are no drums and no cries of a timelost warparty. Tonight there is snow and it falls like ethereal glitter from a starless sky black as an inkwell.

Telamon is still a bit grumpy from dealing with Pol. As arrogant as Ikshama was, being struck blind is probably more reproach than would be warranted. And regardless of how Ikshama had treated Raven and himself, that smirk on Pol's face almost got the sil punched. "I'd call him a donkey but it'd be an insult to Raspberry," he mutters. Opting for some caution, before they get anywhere close to where that camp was he casts his spell of armoring.

GAME: Telamon casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 4 DC: 17

Skielstregar lets his taloned feet fall heavy near Pol, shaking the ground as he goes. It seemed like he too wanted to punch him, though, that'd not be the safest thing to do, considering his streak of caving things in.

They trek on, Skielstregar staying near the front as he uses his polearm as a walking stick. And he takes in the view above the lake before pressing on towards the old battleground. He sniffs the air. "... hopefully we don't have a repeat of lassst time..." he murmurs.

Shilde re-unites with her companion, burying her hand in his shaggy neck, seeming to have no regard to Pol's behaviour, or even Ikshama's plight. Instead she has a few words for her dog, slipping him some jerky before the pair fall into place to follow the others. Well, Shilde follows. Rocky pulls away to frolic in the snow.

Vaera leaves the camp readily. It was quick enough to move through the forests, and the more time they had for searching, the better

"I agree," Ravenstongue says on both Telamon and Skielstregar's sentiment. She sighs as she looks around the path, following Telamon's notion and applying similar protective magic onto herself.

GAME: Ravenstongue casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15

"So, we see if we can find out what happened to the eyes." Vaera sighs. "Which may or not prove fruitless. Failing that, we may need to put this nymph down."

<OOC> Jinks says, "Alrighty, ch'all, the inevitable Perception checks, please."
GAME: Telamon rolls perception: (12)+8: 20
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls Perception+2: (14)+4+2: 20
GAME: Skielstregar rolls perception: (20)+8: 28
GAME: Shilde rolls perception: (13)+10: 23
GAME: Vaera rolls perception: (20)+11: 31
GAME: Shilde rolls 1d20+7: (13)+7: 20
<OOC> Jinks says, "Also, you guys making any concessions for light after leaving the camp?"
<OOC> Skielstregar has dark vision, but can carry a torch
GAME: Shilde casts Longstrider. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14
<OOC> Telamon will use dancing lights to light the way as needed.
<OOC> Shilde has darkvision, but can also do a light spell.
<OOC> Ravenstongue also has LLV, will cling close to Tel to steal his light. :P

Recent trails beyond the edges of the camp are few with most having the sense to keep close and (hopefully) safe. The remaining wardens still make a perimeter and do nothing to obscure their prints; those are the most-recent depressions found in the snow. There is spore of normal wilderness animals, too, but few are curious enough to venture close to the settled area. All locate signs of small mammals; paw- and hoof-prints.

Perhaps surprisingly, everyone finds the days-old impressions of boots tearing off from the camp in a light, long-legged stride.

Telamon pauses over the bootprints. "This is where the hunters set out after our wayward fey, I think." The soft blue-white glow of dancing lights surrounds him as he looks at the trail. "We should follow it. If nothing else we might be able to determine their fate." He looks over at the others. "Any thoughts?"

Skielstregar nods towards Telamon, him following the trail off and towards the distance. Dead silver squints. He glances to Vaera, him rumbling to her, "You see that?" in his native tongue. <Draconic>

He clears his throat, and shifts his weapon to his other hand. Quietly, he shares, "Thisss one thinksss we are being watched..."

"I agree with you, Tel," Ravenstongue says, "but we need to be careful. Grandfather has warned me about the things that fey do when they have... gone wrong."

She puts her hand to her chest, where her curuchuil mark lies underneath her cloak and dress. "Keep me safe and keep me well," Ravenstongue murmurs, "for the blood runs in my veins too." <Sylvan>

"Yes, I see her." Vaera agrees quietly with Skielstregar as they continue on. "I do not imagine there are many people wandering the forests like that. But they have not done anything yet. I do not know if she should continue on with our search or not." <Draconic>

Shilde finishes chewing on another strip of jerky, looking at the tracks. She whistles to get Rocky's attention, and when he comes bounding over she looks him in the eyes, makes a fist and gestures at her nose.. then points at the tracks. The dog immediately sets to sniffing at them. "I vote follow," she says, then sets off after them.

<OOC> Jinks says, "If folks are planning to follow the tracks I'll take a Survival check, bitte. I have to imagine at least Shilde and Vaera are trained. So pick a lead and assist as y'like."
GAME: Shilde rolls survival: (1)+12: 13 (EPIC FAIL)
<OOC> Shilde says, "I'll take that reroll."
GAME: Shilde rolls survival: (12)+12: 24
GAME: Vaera rolls survival: (10)+11: 21
<OOC> Jinks says, "Super. Now Will saves from everyone, please!"
<OOC> Jinks says, "It is mind-affecting and fear if that impacts your boni."
GAME: Skielstregar rolls will: (14)+2: 16
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls Will+2: (7)+6+2: 15
GAME: Telamon rolls Will+2: (3)+5+2: 10
<OOC> Shilde has resist nature's lure, which is a +4 save bonus vs. spell-like and supernatural abilities of the fey if that matters. And seperate from that, a +2 bonus to saves vs. spells.
GAME: Shilde rolls will+4: (3)+7+4: 14
GAME: Shilde rolls 1d20+2: (13)+2: 15
GAME: Vaera rolls will: (10)+4: 14

Shilde and Vaera lead on, forging further through the snowy wilderness with an measured and cautious pace. The larger drifts make the tracks easier to follow and spore through the brush and trees is infrequent-but-present. The pair are confident you're on the right track.

The path leads towards a dense copse. Within the gang of scraggly trees a figure that could be a woman in rags. The makari mercenaries saw 'her' first. There is the sense of being watched... but as the group draws near the figure sorts itself out into a small tree, its trunk twisted, bent, and shadowed. Two dark knots ringed with dark sap look to be eyes...

Tensions are just beginning to ease when a horrifying scream tears through the copse like a dashing explosion of black-feathered murder. It pushes through each and every one of you like a physical thing, cold and lonely to leave the party shaken.

The world seems darker...

<OOC> Jinks says, "So you guys are Shaken for a minute."
<OOC> Jinks says, "And another round of Perception checks (with the Shaken penalty) for me, please."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Alright. DC10 to notice the spooky lady-tree isn't there anymore. DC15 to notice the moon isn't in the sky anymore. Spoopy."
GAME: Skielstregar rolls perception-2: (16)+8+-2: 22
GAME: Telamon rolls perception-2: (11)+8+-2: 17
GAME: Vaera rolls perception -2: (15)+11+-2: 24
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls Perception-2: (11)+4+-2: 13
GAME: Shilde rolls perception-2: (11)+10+-2: 19

Telamon gasps at the scream, his hand instinctively shooting up into a defensive position. His fingers tremble, to his shock, and the dancing lights near him dim for a moment before brightening again. Almost reflexively, he glances up, then pauses. "Oh, shit," he mumbles. "I don't see Eluna. Something's not right here..." He moves closer to Raven on impulse.

Ravenstongue yelps--more accurately, a yell that's terminated when she bites her lip--and, like Telamon, finds herself running immediately into Telamon's chest, wrapping an arm tightly around him as she lifts her hand up--but the nymph is gone.

She looks up at Telamon and says, in a horrified voice, "What do you mean, Eluna's gone?"

Skielstregar almost immediately drops into a stance, his weapon ready as his eyes are wide, darting about. He shudders, and steps closer to Vaera as well. "... and the tree isss... is gone. T-Thisss one.." He gulps. Stay strong! Be the Sunblade you always wanted to be! "... the treesss play trickss? Ssscales... ssstay together."

A tremor runs down Shilde's spine as the scream washes over the group, and when she looks at her hand.. she quickly clenches her fist to stop it. Rocky, meanwhile, has crouched down low, his sounds halfway between a growl and a whimper. When attention is called to the missing moon, she looks up to the sky to confirm it.. then shakes her head sharply enough to whip her braid about. Then she bares her teeth as well. "Means we're close..."

<OOC> Jinks says, "Kn.Nature if y'all like."
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls Knowledge/Nature: (15)+10-2: 23
GAME: Skielstregar rolls knowledge/nature-2: (1)+2+-2: 1 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Telamon rolls knowledge/nature-2: (6)+8+-2: 12
GAME: Shilde rolls knowledge/nature: (12)+9: 21
GAME: Vaera rolls knowledge/nature -2: (18)+6+-2: 22

"We're... We're in Quelynos. Or a border realm. I-I don't know for certain." Ravenstongue lets go of Telamon, only for a moment. She takes his hand. "Be careful where we walk. Hold onto each other if you can. Don't eat anything even if it looks positively delicious. Remember that things are illusory. Or half-illusory." She rattles all of this off like she was forced to memorize it in school.

She puts her hand on her chest again, right where the curuchuil mark is permanently imprinted onto her skin. "Grandfather's name will mean nothing to her, but if I can talk to her, maybe..."

Telamon looks at Raven, "Hell of a way to pay a visit. I don't think Grandfather's name is going to get us far anyways what with him being withdrawn from fae society." He winces, reaching out to take Raven's hand in his. "It'd be useful, but... somehow I think it's up to us to bail ourselves out of this."

Vaera looks up and sighs after collecting herself from the screaming figure. "Yes, there is no moon. Things look off. We are no longer on Ea it seems, in some small amount. I do not know what brought us here, but we need be wary. And to not allow ourselves to be lost in the process."

Shilde doesn't hesitate to take Ravenstongue's instruction to heart, instructions she relays to her dog with another set of gestures. He just whimpers in response, and though the tremble remains she puts her hand in his fur to comfort him. Then she pats him. "C'mon." To the others. "In this far.. time t'press on."

Skielstregar dry swallows. No longer in Ea. Stay close to someone and hold onto them. Good idea. He moves astride the redscale of the group, and silently finds her hand. "L-Let'ssss.... get thisss resolved then..."

<OOC> Jinks says, "So, yus, officially dark. Skiel with a torch. Tel with dancing lights. Anything else for light? Or other prep magics?"
<OOC> Skielstregar has nothing that lasts very long in regards to magic
GAME: Shilde casts Light. Caster Level: 4 DC: 13
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d5: (1): 1

Anyone could follow the tracks now: bootprints carved into ice. They're closer in step with the toes turned out. The warden slowed their pace and progressed carefully...

The winter wilds are something out of a child's painting. The night sky is black and empty with Eluna keeping conspicuously absent. Beneath are trees heavy with snow, wasted and bowing. The earth is suddenly hard with ice and the icy coating a almost a foggy mirror where the is blown aside.

Shadowy figures cavort in the distance. They scamper across the ground and climb through the trees. The constant and gusting wind is their laughter from above and below. The scratch of branches and the crunch of snow and ice are their obscured and alien dialogues.

Walking on, the ice grows thinner on the ground and crunches and cracks beneath your feet. The black-brown earth turns soft and begins sloping down into a bowl. At its lip, a crumpled form in a soggy and muddied green cloak. It's fallen near a squat pile. A lithe, obviously-feminine figure in dark chiffon rags stoops over the body, her shoulders shuddering with sobs.

Beyond, the descent. Dark waters in snaking, shallow puddles dot the mud.

Telamon brings as much light from the four silver-blue orbs as he can, his other arm around Raven as he looks out at the tundra-esque landscape. Seeing the figures down there, he stiffens, and points with his free hand. Cautiously, he begins to sign, using Handspeech, "Let's go slow. This could go bad very quickly."

Ravenstongue bites her lip as she looks at the figure, her own feet standing in an unsteady manner on the icy earth. "This is a trap," she murmurs softly to Telamon. But her eyes fill with compassion for the crying figure.

She nods quietly to his signing, even as her eyes linger on the figure. She bites her lip again. "I could talk to her if we need to?" she signs back. <Handspeech>

Skielstregar follows after the tracks carefully, him sticking firm with Vaera as it's clear he's unsettled by this landscape.

The sobbing figure catches his attention, and he softly sighs, blinking as Shilde nearly topples forward and grabs at his scales. He tries to keep her steady, even as there's gestures he's unfamiliar with around him.

He rolls his shoulders. "... thisss one, to be honessst, ssshouldn't go speaking with them. Thisss one isss... well..."

He gestures to his less than savory features. Not something someone wants to see when they're in despair.

Vaera holds the hand offered as they continue on through the strange surreal landscape for anything that would give further clue to what was going on.

"It could be dangerous. They may be seeking to take advantage of someone coming to help, it would not be a surprise." She agrees. "But I do not like leaving them there like that. We should try to figure out what is going on."

<OOC> Jinks says, "Okey-doke, RT. Do me a favor and roll Diplomacy with your pose."
<OOC> Ravenstongue gets a +4 bonus to Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidate rolls concerning oruch, gnomes, sildanyari, and half-oruch, half-sildanyari, and fey-type creatures due to T2 Fae-touched Aspect and Aspect tattoo, if that's applicable?
<OOC> Jinks says, "Fo shore."
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls Diplomacy+4: (19)+8+4: 31

Ravenstongue just sighs as she looks at the woman some more. She squeezes Telamon's hand and says, "Sorry, I'm gonna do it."

"Greetings of the raven's feather, sorrowful one," Ravenstongue calls out. This is her grandfather's greeting concerning fey that he taught her. "Why do your tears spill onto the ice?" <Sylvan>

Telamon nods to Raven. "Just... be careful." He takes up position just behind her and to the side, as she addresses the sobbing woman... entity. Close enough that he can pull her aside if need be, but this is her play, not his. Watching with cautious eyes, flexing his fingers absently.

"This is the one," Shilde says after she collects herself, and grunting a quick thanks to SKielstregar. While she rubs at her temples, she goes on, though her eyes narrow. "Might be a tricky.. tricksy fey.. but t'was just shown what was. What it used t'be." Then when Raven presents herself to the figure, her hand drops down to her cudgel. "Know what I said earlier.. but if we can help her, we should."

The creature crouches, her rotted, dangling rags doing nothing to preserve her modesty as Ravenstongue draws nearer. She falls halfway down, losing her balance and sploshing her knees into the cold, soft earth. Taloned fingers grope across the ground until she finds the other figure and pulls back his hood.

The warden is pale and blue-lipped with milky, unseeing eyes. His mouth is slack and water has turned to frost on his cheeks and brow.

She crawls closer, still weeping, and her tears are blood when they fall to smear on the dead Sildanyari. She whispers something, broken and panted between violent sobs. She stops and moans, cradling the corpse' head in her lap.

She starts to scream and she stops, stuttering back to stand. Her form twists and spasms and she points a claw towards the lake.

The woman is gone. In her place a bent and broken tree. A crooked and wasted ash with one scraggly branch reaching towards the empty lake. The dead warden is slumped between the roots of the tree.

There's a light coming from the bottom of the bowl now. A soft, blue-white glow. At the lowest point of the drained lake is a small pool and in the pool, the moon.

<OOC> Vaera says, "I would like to move up with Skielstregar as well if they are willing, and I'd like to make a heal check to see what happened to the dead sil"
<OOC> Vaera says, "would I be able to get a bonus for favored enemy?"
GAME: Vaera rolls heal+2: (13)+7+2: 22

Telamon just stares. Then he shakes his head, brushing his hand across his eyes. "Dream logic. Dammit. It's all... dream logic. There's an underlying theme but you have to watch to make sure you see the pattern." His eyes move to the pool, and the soft light glowing there. Glancing at Raven. "Holding fast?"

Skielstregar watches the interaction with a slightly ajar maw. He blinks thrice. Then shakes his head. "... the ssscoutsss are long gone, perhapsss we can return their bodies, at the very leassst once this is over," he mumbles, starting to walk forward with Vaera as she moves. Then, insight?

"... thisss one thinks thisss depresssion in the land isss a reflection of the lake back in Ea," he points out, spying the light at the bottom of the drained lake.

This close to the pile its details are more clear; rotted fruits sag into mush. Broken trinkets and fetishes scatter the floor as little more than junk.

"Forget, forgot, forgotten--not always, now never," Ravenstongue says quietly, her violet eyes, same as her Grandfather's, fixed on the moonlight lake. "That's what she was saying."

She doesn't immediately answer Telamon, her eyes closing.

"A moon at night, the sun, the day.

Both are gone and lost her way.

The windows closed, caverns empty.

Hollow-faced, sorrow plenty.

Restore the lost, passions arouse.

Moonlight lake, sun's light in boughs."

Ravenstongue looks to the gnarled and broken tree as she's finished her recitation of the poem. "You will not be forgotten, Ceaseless. You have not been forgotten. I will help you as a cousin. You are not alone. The raven counts on the tree for a place to rest, after all." <Sylvan>

She carefully begins to make her way down to the light at the bottom of the bowl, murmuring quietly.

<OOC> Jinks says, "Oh, dang. Uh, Kn.Religion. Folks can roll this untrained as it's only DC10."
GAME: Skielstregar rolls intelligence: (4)+0: 4
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls Intelligence: (5)+2: 7
GAME: Telamon rolls intelligence: (2)+3: 5
GAME: Shilde rolls intelligence: (2)+2: 4
GAME: Vaera rolls intelligence: (2)+1: 3

Vaera stops to look at the tree, and moreso at the body that was near it. She stops to move their arms around, before they let out a long sigh. "They were drowned, yes. There is no mistake about that." The makari notes. "But it is hard to make out until you look closer, but the marks on their face and arms are from a creature. Small, the size of a gnome or halfling, almost."

Vaera is quick to her feet. "Be wary going near the water. This person was dragged to the deep, and what did such may still be around."

Telamon can't understand everything Raven's saying, since he doesn't speak Sylvan. But he's certainly not letting her go alone down to that pool. "What happened here, 'Lana? I know that things are... mutable in Quelynos, but this seems excessive even by fae standards." He exhales. "I just hope we can fix... whatever this is."

Skielstregar hears Vaera's warning, followed by Ravenstongue's prose. He chuffs in annoyance as she starts to head off. "If sssomething isss going to drown, let one of the People deal with it, we can breathe underwater for a time," he lightly chastises, striding up to move with the group.

Shilde pats her dog reassuringly, then starts trundling down after Raven and the others. "Rocky'n I can swim," she assures, hating herself for the tremble that still works at her throat.

The group proceeds carefully down into the lake. The going is slow and the ground trecherous with its muddy and icy sloping.

The light of the reflected moon resolves itself into the image of Eluna, still and perfect in the dark water. Closer still and the water reveals to be coming from below rather then above. A blue-white pearl, perfect and forgotten sits at the very center of the lake.

Ravenstongue nears, close enough to reach down and pluck it from the waters...

There's a scream of fear and sorrow and anger that tears through the night. It knocks out all light; the world goes completely black. The air changes in the darkness, growing thick and wet. You blink away the blinding shadow and the world turns on its head.

The moon is below.

The moon is above.

The water is a puddle.

The water is a lake.

You scrabble to keep your bearings as your body's weight is altered; you're swimming at the bottom of the lake. There are other creatures in the lake with you...

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

        Jinks has dropped a TIMESTOP!

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

There are three dark forms in the water. They have warped, pony-like heads on a child's body with overlong arms. They're a blue-green in color with algae and mud smearing their sickly form. A chaotic mane of black hair runs from their equine heads down the length of their spines before trailing behind them as a tail.

<OOC> Jinks says, "The first charges Raven and takes a swipe at her."
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11: (16)+11: 27
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3+2+1d6: (1)+2+(4): 7

In comes the first of the swimming creatures, kicking and pulling itself through the water with ease. Long arms ending in grasping hands reach out, clawing at the sorceress and drawing black that mixes into the already-dark waters of the otherworldly lake.

<OOC> Telamon says, "Tel casts Scorching Ray at the boggie to the north (next to the 20' mark), then five foot step me to 9,9 to try and assist Raven."
GAME: Telamon rolls athletics: (17)+1: 18 (movement check, success)
GAME: Telamon casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 4 DC: 18
GAME: Telamon rolls ranged: (9)+4: 13 (miss)
GAME: Telamon rolls ranged: (13)+4: 17 (free reroll, hits)
GAME: Telamon rolls 4d6: (15): 15

Telamon lets out a startled curse as up becomes down, down becomes up, and he finds himself in a lake. Then he lets out another curse as he realizes he's breathing. "This is ridiculous--" he mumbles, before seeing something moving in the water. When one lunges at Raven, he snarls, "Back off, or I'll boil the lot of you! Ganzer agida!" The water superheats around his hand and lashes one of the creatures, as he moves up to try and defend Raven's flank.

<OOC> Jinks says, "He will return the favor!"
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11: (12)+11: 23
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3+2+1d6: (1)+2+(3): 6

The monster makes a choking whinny of protest and issuing an angry snort. It kicks, spinning into a tight spiral and taking up a space opposite its twisted kin. Long arms reach around Telamon, using the distraction afforded by the other creature to draw a long gouge across the sorcerer's back.

<OOC> Jinks says, "Kn.Nature to identify the critters as desired."
GAME: Shilde rolls knowledge/nature: (16)+9: 25
<OOC> Shilde says, "Casting bull's strength on Rocky."
GAME: Shilde casts Bull's Strength. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15
<OOC> Shilde will shout what she knows, Rocky will go for the one at 10,10
<OOC> Jinks says, "Swim check for Rocko"
GAME: Shilde rolls 1d20+4: (16)+4: 20
<OOC> Jinks says, "Make with the chompin'!"
GAME: Shilde rolls 1d20+7: (2)+7: 9 (miss)

"Boggies!" Shilde shouts. "Them'll try'n grab you! Use cold forged iron, if'n you have it!" Then she lays into a druidic incantation, infusing Rocky with extra strength before pointing at the creature in front of Telamon and Ravenstongue. "Git 'im!"

<OOC> Ravenstongue says, "Ok. RT is taking a step back to 8,10 then Magic Missiling the enemy at 8,8."
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls Athletics: (20)+1: 21 (movement check, succeeds)
GAME: Ravenstongue casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15 (tar: boggart)
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 3d4+3: (10)+3: 13

Ravenstongue is almost there, to that beautiful little pearl of light--but the world goes upside-down. "We're in Quelynos, all right," she murmurs--right before she's attacked by the boggie and her world goes a little red. She sees her love, her light, Telamon, being attacked--so she steps back, which feels like walking does in dreams, and she summons up her magic power, aiming it at the boggie.

"I am called Cor'lana, child of the Feathered One--stand down," she snarls.

<OOC> Jinks says, "On Rocky-Dog"
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11: (2)+11: 13 (boggart attack tar: Rocky, miss)

The last of the boggarts swims forward, taking a circuitous route through the water to angle itself in behind Shilde's stalwart companion. The creature swipes but fails to draw blood from Rocky's furred hide.

GAME: Skielstregar RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 8 temporary HP
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "PA but FF, yada yada"
GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon12: (7)+12: 19 (tar: boggart, hits)
GAME: Skielstregar rolls damage12+6: aliased to 1d10+9+6: (7)+9+6: 22
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "then I'll move to 8,11"
GAME: Skielstregar rolls athletics: (12)+9: 21 (movement check, succeeds)

Skielstregar is suddenly thrust into a tense, anxiety inducing situation. It feels like he's in water, but he's not. Things are coming out of the woodworks, people are shouting, and it's just so muc-

Black ichor wafts from him as he snaps the spear end of the halberd out, lancing the creature before him. He pivots, snarls his double-fanged mouth, and crashes the body into the nearby tree. "Drown in your own pool!" he snaps at them, him gliding over Ravenstongue, tail swirling behind him as he lands next to her and Rocky, weapon at the ready. "STAND DOWN OR THIS WILL ACTUALLY BE YOUR WATERY GRAVE!" he roars.

Skiel is a bit anxious, if you can't tell.

<OOC> Vaera says, "I'll full attack the one closest to telamon, pbs/deadly aim"
GAME: Vaera rolls 1d20+6+4+1-2: (4)+6+4+1+-2: 13 (miss)
GAME: Vaera rolls 1d20+1+4+1-2: (9)+1+4+1+-2: 13 (miss)
<OOC> Vaera says, "Ah, I'll reroll the first"
GAME: Vaera rolls 1d20+6+4+1-2: (4)+6+4+1+-2: 13 (miss)

Vaera took a moment as the world was suddenly underwater around them, and the moment of panic gave way to realizing that it was not doing anything to their weaponry. Already ready for the threats, the red makari takes aim at one of the creatures, only for both shots fired to whizz harmlessly past the creatures.

"I do not expect them to be standing down at all." Vaera growls. "Best to deal with them so we do not receive the fate of the sil back there."

<OOC> Jinks says, "Having lost his flanking partner on Tel he will swap to Rocky and full attack."
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11: (8)+11: 19 (boggart attack tar: Rocky)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+11: (14)+11: 25 (boggart attack tar: Rocky)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3+2+6: (3)+2+6: 11
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3+2+6: (1)+2+6: 9
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+9: (15)+9: 24

Sensing an opportunity, the horse-headed fey digs both sets of claws into Shilde's sidekick. Suddenly, the dog's yelp is choked by water and the animal is being dragged away by the boggart.

<OOC> Telamon says, "OK, so... I'll pick up the moon."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Awesome. Spellcraft!"
GAME: Telamon rolls spellcraft: (14)+10: 24
<OOC> Jinks says, "The "eye" is generating a Circle of Protection Against Evil."
<OOC> Telamon says, "Hmm. I'll cast Ray of Enfeeblement at the boggie dragging Rocky."
GAME: Telamon casts Ray of Enfeeblement. Caster Level: 4 DC: 17
GAME: Telamon rolls ranged: (7)+4: 11 (tar: boggart, misses)

Telamon sees the glowing orb lying on the 'floor' of the lake, and on impulse (he does that sometimes) reaches down to pick it up. There's a shimmer, suddenly, a flicker through the water that glows like starlight and moonlight. Pointing at the boggie trying to drag poor Rocky away, he speaks sonorously, "Idim gibarbara," but the shifting and struggle of the dog and the creature spoil his aim as the dark beam lashes past it.

GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+9: (10)+9: 19 (boggart targets Skiel, hit)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+9: (3)+9: 12 (boggart targets Skiel, misses)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3+2+1d6: (1)+2+(5): 8

The last of the boggarts presses into Skielstregar, black eyes wide enough to show the bloodshot white at their far edges. It whickers something in Sylvan, pressing in to claw and claw at the sith-makar. Then it makes mocking 'blurble-blurble' sounds as the dog is dragged away.

<OOC> Shilde says, "Rocky is going to try and bite the one that's dragging him"
<OOC> Shilde says, "I will cast a spell and do a touch attack on 8/12"
GAME: Shilde casts Frigid Touch. Caster Level: 4 DC: 15
GAME: Shilde rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 (Rocky attacks the boggart, miss)
GAME: Shilde rolls 1d20+5: (5)+5: 10 (Shilde attacks the boggart, miss)

Rocky thrashes.. he definitely does not like being grabbed by these creatures. He tries to get his jaws on it, but the angle is bad and his face just gets pushed away.

His druid, while probably concerned about him, has to set her sights on another.. and as an incantation initiates a soft, blue glow about her hand she swims forward, trying to grasp another of the boggarts. But the nature of the battlefield is awkward, and she falls short.

<OOC> Ravenstongue says, "I'm magic missile-ing the boggie dragging the doggo away."
GAME: Ravenstongue casts Magic Missile. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15
GAME: Ravenstongue rolls 3d4+3: (5)+3: 8

Ravenstongue whips around to see the boggart dragging the dog away. She glares at the creature and sends more arcane darts to sink into the entity's body. "Let the dog GO," she snarls. <Sylvan>

<OOC> Skielstregar says, "skiel is going to provoke and go to 11,10 to try rescue rocky"
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29 (AoO against Skiel, hits)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+9: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) (AoO against Skiel, misses)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d3+2+1d6: (3)+2+(4): 9
GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon12: (17)+12: 29 (hit)
GAME: Skielstregar rolls athletics: (5)+9: 14 
GAME: Skielstregar rolls damage12+6: aliased to 1d10+9+6: (7)+9+6: 22

Skielstregar body blocks against this one next to Ravenstongue, him snarling as he glances to Shilde. Which, makes his crimson gaze whip over to Rocky. Alarmed, he quickly assess the situation, then bounds over to the hound, ignoring the flaring pain in his side as a strike rips down his arm. He half gallops, half swims, as he spins once, halberd cocked back. "His light-!"

>CLANG!<

"Take you!" he snaps, bloody trail of the axe head giving evidence to a nasty blow.

<OOC> Vaera says, "pbs/deadly aim"
GAME: Vaera rolls 1d20+6+4+1-2: (13)+6+4+1+-2: 22 (tar: boggart dragging dog, hit)
GAME: Vaera rolls 1d20+1+4+1-2: (8)+1+4+1+-2: 12 (tar: boggart dragging dog, miss)
GAME: Vaera rolls 1d12+4+1: (6)+4+1: 11

Vaera growls as the creature ducks out of the way of her last volley of shots, and she takes a moment to adjust her aim after seeing how the water did, and did not affect it. Finding what she hoped was the correct course of action, the red makari takes aim, and while the second shot goes wide, the first impacts solidly with the creature, sending it toppling backwards in the water.

The sound of Vaera's weapon is still echoing as there's a flash from the artifact in Telamon's grasp. The world goes white this time and floods with warmth. A caring, benevolent face looks down, cradling your chin in a reassuring grip, pulling you up.

She has heterochromia; one eye is grey with strips of blue and the other a light-brown flecked with yellow. Her hair spills down around her face to tickle yours, full and curly in a verdant green. She is beautiful beyond imagining...

Then cold starts to creep in and she's blinking back bloody-tears. Her eyes darken and she begins to weep, her fingertips digging into your skin.

The vision bursts and you explode from the surface of a half-frozen lake pushing away thin sheets of ice, soaked to the bone and shivering.

Eluna holds her place in the sky and the starts twinkle distantly around her as you splash for shore...

OOC

Map: https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mc71xqitn9s

 ===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
 ---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
  >> 25   Bog2             1   <<
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     18   Telamon          1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
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     14   Bog1                
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     13   Shilde           1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
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     10   Ravenstongue     1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
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     8    Bog3                
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     7    Skielstregar     1  
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     6    Vaera            1  Flat-footed (0 rnds remaining)               
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 ==============================================================================