PrP: Salted Pork - part 1
PrP: Salted Pork (part 1)
Runner/DM: Raniq Level Range: 3-6 Location: RPOne Date: June 3, 2016 Participants: Aurora (Dru4), Ezriya (Sor4), Kalkorth (Bbn4), Raethon (Wiz6) Monsters: 8 skeletal common boars
SET: A rancher who raises pigs in the countryside has been losing pigs in the previous nights. His ranchhands have been unable to figure out why, because their pens are found just as secure in the mornings as they were left in the evenings, and all attempts to catch the thieves (if they were stolen) have been fruitless. The best that he can say is that he fears some creature from the nearby saltmarshes may be carrying them off. He is willing to pay the Adventurers Guild's standard rate to have you all put a stop to this loss.
On any given day, it would be entirely possible that a certain halfling would be the thief. Not today, however; and as it turns out, she can't resist a good mystery. She arrives just as barefoot as the large snow leopard walking beside her, that warily eyes anyone who gets too close to her halfling, just in case. "Sydie," murmurs the halfling, "Try not to eat any of the farmers pigs, chickens, or children. Perhaps if we do a good job, he might let you have one afterwards." She glances at her companion, "A pig or a chicken, not a child."
Rae shows up and nods to the farmer. Not much else to say really. He's not a tracker. All he is is magical support for the moment. "What's you say was missing? Pigs?" He then makes a face. "Well.....a lot of animals like pig."
Kalkorth stretches out and the giantborn barbarian grins a little bit, "Aw not one of the children? They look so delicious." He chuckles as he is teasing as he hefts his greataxe, "Any clue on where these creatures might be coming from?" He starts to look around the pen.
The farmer says, "The best we can figure is that whoever they are, they're hiding out in the marshes, about a mile up that way." He points.
"Join the Adventurer's Guild!" They said. "Have a life full of adventure and gret stories to tell!" Thay said. "Save the world!" They said.
More often than not, the vast majority of the missions hande out by the guild were these; mundane mysteries or pest control. Some people ended up with the saucy missions sure, but those were few and far in between. They all paid about the same anyway, so sometimes, an easy mission was just the trick.
Ezriya arrives to the farm about the indicated time, taking one last moment to drain a wine flask in preparation for the upcoming mission. She walks up to the others, passing a small bow towards bot the farmer and her guild mates. Her tone is jovial and elaborate.
"So, we're looking for missing pigs right? Are there any signs of scuffle? Anything else broken or missing? What makes you so sure that it went to the marshes?"
"Whoever or whatever it is," the halfling begins with an attentive ear from her feline companion, "It is most likely taking your livestock because it is hungry. And really; can you blame it for behaving thus? Expecially if it is a wild animal. The solution doesn't necessarily need to be a violent one, perhaps if we can arrange a better source of food, it might leave you alone."
The farmer responds, "We're only guessing the marshes, because there really is not much anywhere else to hide around here, not hardly any trees even, until you get to the hills. If you can solve the problem, I won't care how. I'll just be grateful. This is my livelihood."
Raethon says, "Well....lets find out what it is and get the livestock back...somehow." he says as he starts for the woods.
Kalkorth nods, "Got it. Salt marshes let's get going before those pigs are all eaten up and whoever is taking them come back for something else." He says as he turns towards the salt marshes and starts to walk towards it.
As people start wandering off towards the marshes, the Halfling follows suit; she makes it all of three steps before accompanying snow leopard siezes her by the scruff of the neck. With a toss of her head, the large feline tosses her halfling up onto her back as she slinks along after Kalkorth.
Within a half hour's easy walk from the ranch, the marshes come into plain sight, cattails and rushes marking the mucky wetlands.
GAME: Aurora rolls perception: (1)+13: 14 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Ezriya rolls perception: (9)+6: 15 GAME: Raethon rolls perception: (8)+10: 18 GAME: Aurora rolls 1d20+3 (for animal companion): (3)+3: 6 GAME: Kalkorth rolls perception: (18)+9: 27
Nestled upon the rushes you see a flock of geese gabbling and honking merrily away. Also in amongst the plants, you see... bones. Lots of them.
GAME: Kalkorth rolls stealth: (2)+-1: 1
With stealth, like with chains whose weakest link is all it takes to break, all it takes to set off the gees is one failed attempt. The geese, noticing the oncoming party, take to the air honking loudly.
Raethon looks up at the geese. "Well....if they didn't know we were here before...they do now." he says as he gets ready.
GAME: Raethon refreshes spells. GAME: Raethon casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16
Kalkorth shrugs, "Geese are silly animals they'd flap away at anything." He says as he has his greataxe out and ready to swing just in case.
"Now, Sydie," murmurs the halfling, leaning down to bend her companion's ear. "Let us creep quietly up to the bones and not disturb the geese, so we may approach un--" She pauses as someone else just... marches right up into the thick of them, sending the birds scattering into the air, honking and flapping. "A new plan, Sydie. We will let the stupid one go first, and see what eats him."
Ezriya watches her step as soon as they reach the marshes, if only because that's how you hit a sour spot of water. The flying geese aren't much of a surprise, as her party (and her) made no attempt to be sneaky. The honking however, was less appreciated. She cranes her head up to watch them fly away, rolling her eyes. Once the flying birds move out of the way, she looks oer towards the various bones and makes her way over towards them. "...Well I don't think we'll be getting the farmer his wares back...we are sure these are indeed pig bones, yes?"
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Raniq has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Raniq to instruct you further.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
GAME: Kalkorth rolls initiative: 20 + 2 = 22 GAME: Aurora rolls initiative: 14 + 3 = 17 GAME: Ezriya rolls initiative: 4 + 3 = 7
GAME: Aurora rolls knowledge/nature: (17)+10: 27 GAME: Raethon rolls knowledge/nature: (13)+14: 27 GAME: Ezriya rolls Knowledge/nature: Trained Use Only: 0
Raniq paged Aurora and Raethon with 'These are, indeed pig bones."
"Damn. These are it." Rae says to everyone. "All right. This just became search and destroy guys. Lets find this thing and kill it."
GAME: You roll initiative for pigbones1: Roll: 12 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 16 GAME: You roll initiative for pigbones2: Roll: 17 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 21 GAME: You roll initiative for pigbones3: Roll: 19 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 23 GAME: You roll initiative for pigbones4: Roll: 20 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 24 GAME: You roll initiative for pigbones5: Roll: 2 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 6 GAME: You roll initiative for pigbones6: Roll: 8 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 12 GAME: You roll initiative for pigbones7: Roll: 16 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 20 GAME: You roll initiative for pigbones8: Roll: 18 + Bonus: +4 = Total: 22
GAME: Raniq damaged Ezriya for -100 points. 19 remaining. GAME: Raniq damaged Aurora for -100 points. 24 remaining. GAME: Raniq damaged Kalkorth for -100 points. 46 remaining. GAME: Raniq damaged Raethon for -100 points. 36 remaining.
GAME: Raniq advances the initative order.
Round One - Init 24.
It is now pigbones4's turn! pigbones3 is next!
Just then, the pig bones rise up and form themselves into 8 distinct groups.
GAME: Raniq advances the initative order.
Round One - Init 23.
It is now pigbones3's turn! pigbones8 is next!
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 22.
It is now pigbones8's turn! Kalkorth is next!
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 22.
It is now Kalkorth's turn! pigbones2 is next!
<OOC> Kalkorth says, "I'll use me turn to switch out my Greataxe with my Earthbreaker"
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 21.
It is now pigbones2's turn! pigbones7 is next!
GAME: Raniq advances the initative order.
Round One - Init 20.
It is now pigbones7's turn! Aurora is next!
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 17.
It is now Aurora's turn! pigbones1 is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed on Aurora ended.
GAME: Raniq advances the initative order.
Round One - Init 16.
It is now pigbones1's turn! Raethon is next!
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 16.
It is now Raethon's turn! pigbones6 is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed on Raethon ended.
GAME: Raethon casts Mirror Image. Caster Level: 6 DC: 17 GAME: Raethon rolls 1d4+2: (2)+2: 4
GAME: Raniq advances the initative order.
Round One - Init 12.
It is now pigbones6's turn! Ezriya is next!
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 7.
It is now Ezriya's turn! pigbones5 is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed on Ezriya ended.
GAME: Ezriya refreshes spells. GAME: Ezriya casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 4 DC 14
GAME: Raniq advances the initative order.
Round One - Init 6.
It is now pigbones5's turn! pigbones4 is next!
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 24.
It is now pigbones4's turn! pigbones3 is next!
Before your very eyes, you all see the bones coalesce into eight pig skeletons.
PigBones4 is charging at Kalkorth. Too far to make it in one round.
GAME: Raniq advances the initative order.
Round Two - Init 23.
It is now pigbones3's turn! pigbones8 is next!
PigBones3 is charging at one of Raethon's Mirror Images. Too far to make it in one round.
GAME: Raniq advances the initative order.
Round Two - Init 22.
It is now pigbones8's turn! Kalkorth is next!
PigBones8 is charging at Raethon. Too far to make it in one round.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 22.
It is now Kalkorth's turn! pigbones2 is next!
<OOC> Kalkorth says, "I'm gonna hold action til after Raethon goes"
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 21.
It is now pigbones2's turn! pigbones7 is next!
PigBones2 is charging at Ezriya. Too far to make it in one round.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 20.
It is now pigbones7's turn! Aurora is next!
PigBones7 is charging at another of Raethon's Mirror Images. Too far to make it in one round.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 17.
It is now Aurora's turn! pigbones1 is next!
The halfling pulls her shield from her back and takes up her shillelagh. With the club in hand, she squeezes her knees around the snow leopard's flank; and together, the pair of them start ambling forwards, at an unhurried pace. "...Nevermind what I said earlier," she murmurs. "This will need a violent solution, plainly."
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 16.
It is now pigbones1's turn! Raethon is next!
Pigbones1 is charging at Aurora's snow leopard. Too far to make it in one round.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 16.
It is now Raethon's turn! pigbones6 is next!
GAME: Raethon uses a Necklace of Fireballs I. GAME: Raethon rolls 5d6: (16): 16 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (18)+5: 23 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (3)+5: 8 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (7)+5: 12 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (11)+5: 16
Rae sees them form into skeletons and makes a face. "Well....this sucks. Or maybe..." he says grabbing onto his necklace. ".....not." And he pulls a bead free. "THERE we go.....CRAP!" And he hurls it.....even though he has skeletons charging at him. "COVER YOUR EARS!" *BOOM* and 4 go boom along with it.
GAME: PigBones5 removed from initiative list. GAME: PigBones6 removed from initiative list. GAME: PigBones7 removed from initiative list. GAME: PigBones8 removed from initiative list.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 7.
It is now Ezriya's turn! pigbones4 is next!
GAME: Ezriya casts Burning Hands. Caster Level: 4 DC: 14 GAME: Ezriya rolls 4d4: (14): 14
GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (7)+5: 12 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (9)+5: 14 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+5: (11)+5: 16
GAME: PigBones4 removed from initiative list.
GAME: Kalkorth rolls 1d20+10+2: (1)+10+2: 13 (EPIC FAIL)
Ezriya is just as surprised as nearly everyone else that the bones seem to reanimate. Compared to the rest of the party, she's pretty close, so the egalrin just watches as the bones seem to reform into their former selves and charge for the farther members of the party. Just then, Ez overhears Raethon.
"COVER YOUR EARS!"
*BOOM!*
The explosion happens just in front of her, lighting the area up considerably and blowing through her clothes and feathers rapidly. She covers her eyes slightly to dim the explosion, holding her ground at this close range. Even with that, quite a few of the bone pigs still cling to the unlife.
Ezriya grins.
With a moment of focused concentration, her eyes glow a bright orange and magical flames engulf her hands. "Let's get an inferno started, shall we?"
She throws out two massive columns of flames from her hands as three of them line up in front of her, stoking the flames and seemingly erasing the one closes to her from existence. Her light outfit continues to be fettered with magical force, the egalrin's eye alight with magical fury.
Kalkorth lets the magic users do their thing first before he charges forward. He goes to swing his earthbreaker and he slips on some mud causes him to miss the skeleton pig all together.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 23.
It is now pigbones3's turn! Kalkorth is next!
GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+1: (10)+1: 11
Pigbones3 attempts to gore Kalkorth... and fails.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 22.
It is now Kalkorth's turn! pigbones2 is next!
<OOC> Raniq says, "Kalkorth?" <OOC> Kalkorth says, "I posed." <OOC> Raniq says, "Thanks."
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 21.
It is now pigbones2's turn! Aurora is next!
GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+1: (2)+1: 3
Pigbones2 charges... past Ezriya.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 17.
It is now Aurora's turn! pigbones1 is next!
GAME: Aurora rolls melee: (5)+4: 9
<OOC> Aurora says, "And then for my cat:" GAME: Aurora rolls 1d20+5: (17)+5: 22 GAME: Aurora rolls 1d20+5: (10)+5: 15 GAME: Aurora rolls 1d20: (17): 17
GAME: Aurora rolls 1d4+2: (2)+2: 4 GAME: Aurora rolls 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8
The halfling shields her eyes and her now leopard's ears flatten out as the explosion goes off; the latter slinks back a couple of steps, and when they look again, several of the pig bones have been... well, annihilated. Well! Nothing like not having to do the work yourself. "Now, Sydie!" declares the small one, and together they leap forwards, bounding around a pool of something stinking, to intercept one of the survivors! The halfling can't quite manage to land a blow, but the cat lands a swipe of her paw; and then with a vicious bite and a shower of bones, it's all over."
GAME: PigBones2 removed from initiative list.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 16.
It is now pigbones1's turn! Raethon is next!
GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+1: (11)+1: 12
PigBones1 had turned to attack another of Raethon's Mirror Images, but missed.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 16.
It is now Raethon's turn! Ezriya is next!
GAME: Raethon used a Wand of Magic Missile GAME: Raethon rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5
Rae's images seem to be a very large distraction for the skeletons. Rae steps back and uses his wand to hit one of the skeletons with a magic missile. It damages it good, but it's not enough to take it down.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 7.
It is now Ezriya's turn! pigbones3 is next!
GAME: Ezriya casts Burning Hands. Caster level: 4 DC 14 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+4: (19)+4: 23 GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+4: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Ezriya rolls 4d4+4: (10)+4: 14
Ezriya keeps her hands out as she only halted her spell long enough to see if anything was still in front of her. When the flames die down a little bit, she looks over and sees that there were still two of them that were still nearby. She fires off two more large columns of fire.
Kill it with fire. And if that doesn't work. More fire.
GAME: PigBones1 removed from initiative list.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 23.
It is now pigbones3's turn! Kalkorth is next!
GAME: Raniq rolls 1d20+1: (11)+1: 12
The last pig standing tries to gore Aurora's kitty, but misses.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 22.
It is now Kalkorth's turn! Aurora is next!
GAME: Kalkorth rolls 1d20+10: (2)+10: 12
Kalkorth grumbles as he sees all the skeleton pigs getting killed. He goes after the last big, but the mud is apparently super slick as he can't get a firm footing as he swings and misses.
GAME: Raniq advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 17.
It is now Aurora's turn! Raethon is next!
GAME: Aurora rolls melee: (17)+4: 21 GAME: Aurora rolls 1d20+5: (12)+5: 17 GAME: Aurora rolls 1d20+5: (8)+5: 13 GAME: Aurora rolls 1d20: (13): 13
GAME: Aurora rolls 1d6: (2): 2 GAME: Aurora rolls 1d4+2: (3)+2: 5
One pig is down beneath Sydie's claws; and the feline is determined that it soon will be a second. The leopard roars, a ferocious howl of violence as she wheels on the last pig-bone creature. The halfling yells in kind, joyous in battle as she roundly smashes the abomination with her shillelagh; and then the cat wheels on it once more, snapping at it with her jaws just an inch short, before swatting it with her claws. It doesn't move, after that; save for when the feline tears at it, throwing bits and pieces here and there. Does the halfling do anything to interrupt this brief tantrum? ...No. Certainly not.
GAME: Raniq removes the timestop. Timestop by Raniq has left.
With the destruction of all these animal skeletons, you all can take a breather, but what or who animated them remains to be discovered... another time.
Raethon looks to Aurora and lightly nudges her. "You should find Mictlan. there are lots of druids there."