PRP: Stone Face
It's a bright, brisk, chill day in Alexandros, and you find yourselves a good three hours' travel west and north of the city, amid rolling farmland. The map the Guild representative had given you suggested that the farm where this unusual stone statue had been found is somewhere around here. Of course, farmers' directions always leave something to be desired. "Turn left at the oak tree and walk a mile and you'll see it. Can't miss it." Or so they said.
Acedia huffs, probably for the nth time, and shakes her head. "How many oak trees are out here, anyways?", she says grumpily. "Maybe if we could fly or something, we'd find this statue. Can't miss it, my behind."
The Gobbo rubs at the back of her neck, and pulls her fur cloak in close again. "Not like we want to wander around out here for hours on end..."
Orenthal agrees with Acedia, and says, "These directions were written for someone who's lived here all their lives. I've been in ALexandria all my life, or most of it, but this village? First time." He will look around for a local who might be able to help with local directions.
There aren't any locals in sight, not right here. The only thing visible from here is a farmhouse, about halfway up the next hill. It stands quiet, with no sign of life.
"I've never been out this way either, not that I can remember, anyways." Acedia gestures at the farmhouse in the distance. "Maybe someone there can point the way. We can also use it as a landmark, and make several trips out into the fields and back."
Orenthal peers at the farmhhouse, then at the map. "That -could- be our destination," he suggests. "I think we're fairly close. Or if not, as you say, we can ask for directions." He will head in that direction.
Heading for the farmhouse is a clear goal, at the least, and does not take long. Nobody is in evidence immediately, but as you approach, picking your way past the grass and crusty remnants of snow, there seems to be someone standing at the corner of the house, near what looks to be a chicken coop.
The Gobbo nods to Orenthal, and follows along at his side. She squints at the person standing at the corner of the house, and cants her head slightly. "Hello?", she calls out, waving a hand. "Have you heard anything about a strange statue nearby?" Acedia takes a few steps forward, still looking closely at the person.
<OOC> Seldan says, "Perception checks, both of you." GAME: Acedia rolls perception: (6)+9: 15 GAME: Orenthal rolls perception: (15)+7: 22 <OOC> Seldan says, "Both of you catch it, so I will pose it."
Orenthal heads to the farmhouse and also calls out a "Hello!", waiting for some reply as we move closer.
The figure is dressed as a farmwife, and has a broomstick in both hands in an armed and threatening manner. It is indeed a chicken coop that she stands near, but ... she isn't moving. At all. And her clothes do not whip, despite a fairly strong breeze.
Acedia sniffs and rubs at her nose. "Oh.. oh dear. I think.." She runs forward and jumps in front of the woman, waving her hands. "She's... turned to stone." She looks around, scanning into the distance. "Maybe... maybe this is the farmer's wife? It... makes sense."
Orenthal nods to Acedia as we get closer and he takes in the scene. "Yes," he says. "I think we've found our destination." He will look around. Tracks are not his thing, alas, he's a city boy. "What do you think?" he wonders.
Sure enough, Acedia has the right of it. On close approach, what appeared as a person is in fact a fully-clad stone statue, with a broomstick in her hands. She appears to have been attempting to chase something with that broom, and a peek into the chicken coop reveals no hens, and a rooster that has met a similar fate to that of the farmwife. She appears to have several marks on her, chunks of missing skin that might be - beak-shaped?
Acedia peers at the woman more closely, and ponders the empty coop. "Uhm. I'm not exactly a monster expert of any kind... but if you look at the chicken coop, and this lady here... do you know of anything chicken sized that can turn things to stone?" She gestures. "A cockatrice?"
Orenthal looks at the evidence, and suggests, "Whatever did this appears to have stoned the rooster defending his coop and stolen the chickens." He nods to Acedia, and says, "I think you may be right, I think that is definitely the way the evidence points." He will look around for cockatrices. Cockatri?
<OOC> Seldan says, "Roll Survival. If you have tracking,use that." GAME: Acedia rolls survival: (6)+1: 7 <OOC> Acedia says, "Oh dear." GAME: Orenthal rolls survival: (10)+0: 10
No cockatrices - or anything else that resembles living chickens - is in immediate evidence. There isn't any feed in the trough, either. In fact, it looks rather as if the whole place has been picked clean of anything that might resemble food for a chicken. Lots of chicken poop, though.
Acedia moves to the coop, peering in at the poor, stony rooster. "No chickens. No food. And three stone statues. Probably all of them with little nibbles taken out of them." She shrugs then. "So if we go by that, it's probably a cockatrice. So uh.. where do they like to live, I wonder? A woodsman might know.. but I don't. Do they like violin music, I wonder?"
Orenthal hrms, and says, "I think the best we can do is a general search of the area. But we should also warn the other local farms not to swat at chicken-sized things with a broom." He looks at the chicken poop, and wonders, "Any chance we could follow this? It looks like they took -everything-." He shrugs about violin music, or where they might live. "A local woodsman could probably follow the tracks, too," he agrees.
<OOC> Seldan says, "Knowledge/arcana, if you have it." GAME: Acedia rolls knowledge/arcana: (7)+12: 19 You paged Acedia with 'Nobody to your knowledge has ever determined whether cockatrices like violin music, but you do know that they generally eat the same things chickens do, and they excavate their own nests that are more like dirt dens. They are mean, but they're not especially bright, so food may be the driver here.'
"If we are lucky, a search might find a den. I think they like the same things chickens do." The Gobbo looks about once more. "Let's see if we can find the farmer in his field. Chances are... the cockatrice is nearby, well... relatively close by." Acedia looks to Orenthal. "And if we run across anyone else, who is not a statue... we can warn them of the danger."
Orenthal nods about warning any other people we see, and will look around for a field. If this is the right farm, the field should be easy to find, and then the farmer, and we can look there also. "Yes, I think that ought to be a good plan."
The search ends up taking over an hour. There are many fields, and a fair amount of walking is involved, but finally, you do find the farmer, and in very much a similar state to the farmwife. You have not yet seen any kids or anyone else, though.
Once again, the field appears to be largely barren, as is typical for this time of year, but this time, you find a whole lot of bird-shaped tracks imprinted into the snow, confusing and muddled. One thing you do notice about the field: there appear to be a great many chicken tracks, running around, all over all of the fields.
"Well this is worrying.", Acedia says with a frown. "I mean, it could be the missing chickens, ooor a bunch of cockatrice." The Gobbo starts ckecking over the farmer. "Hmm.."
<OOC> Acedia says, "Perception to see if he is bit too?" <OOC> Seldan says, "He is. I won't even make you roll."
Orenthal hrms at the chicken tracks. "What do you think? A lot of cockatrices? Or do you think he was chasing the one as it fled with his chickens?" He's less worried, but more concerned if we can find where they went.
<OOC> Seldan says, "Survival or Perception." GAME: Acedia rolls perception: (15)+9: 24 GAME: Orenthal rolls perception: (14)+7: 21
The tracks run around a lot, but they seem to suggest only a few birds making a heavy search of the area. Eventually, what looks like two, maybe three, sets of tracks wander off towards another field.
"I don't know, it is hard to tell. I hope it's just a bunch a chickens, but I fear it is more cockatrices." She slowly straightens. "If we can work out which tracks to follow, it might give us a clue to the answer." After some time searching, the two find tracks leading away. "So maybe two or three? Going this way.." Acedia pauses to check the pistol on her belt, as well as a few knives. "We don't want them to get close."
Orenthal is, unfortunately, a close-in kind of guy. But he nods about following in that direction, and will see what he can do about going that way and looking for more tracks.
The tracks are easy enough to find, at times, in the crusty snow, but eventually it leads back to the feed shed, where a good amount of the frozen dirt has been dug up, and you can hear soft *bwak bwak squawk* coming from underneath of it.
Upon seeing the frozen dirt dug up and scattered about, the Gobbo pulls free her pistol. "I..I.. think we've found what we're looking for.", Acedia whispers. Her ears perk up. "I hear... chicken sounds."
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+10: (11)+10: 21
Orenthal suggests, "They're definitely interested in the feed," he says, but then he hears the sound coming from underneath, and a-ha's. "This may be our culprit," he suggests, agreeing. "See if you can shoot it, I guess?" he says, pulling a slim dagger from his belt.
She huffs and peers at him. "I don't wanna go under there... It'll beak me in the face." Acedia slowly begins to circle the shed, her steps slow and purposeful. "So they are coming up from underneath. Dunno if there is more than one." She looks to Orenthal. "Maybe if I go inside, and shoot at the floor, they'll come running out? Then you can kill them?"
Before either of you has a chance to move, there's an angry *BWAK!* from the hole, and first one, and then a second, angry bird that looks like a fairly large chicken charges out from under the hole and flies at the pair of you with angry squawks!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ATTENTION -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Seldan has dropped a TIMESTOP!
Please +init, then cease all roleplay and actions immediately and wait for Seldan to instruct you further. You may earn RPP by logging a scene for a GM.
For in-combat commands, type: +thelp.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
<OOC> Acedia squeaks. Hides behind Orenthal.
GAME: Orenthal rolls initiative: 1 + 3 = 4
<OOC> Orenthal lols at init
GAME: Acedia rolls initiative: 19 + 4 = 23
<OOC> Acedia says, "Doh. :P"
<OOC> Orenthal says, "Well, it's fine, you can shoot them if they run outside"
GAME: You roll initiative for Male Cockatrice: Roll: 8 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 11
<OOC> Acedia says, "Might wanna heal Orenthal and I up. :P"
GAME: You roll initiative for Female Cockatrice: Roll: 7 + Bonus: 3 = Total: 10
GAME: Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 23.
It is now Acedia's turn! Male Cockatrice is next!
GAME: Note Flat-footed on Acedia ended.
<OOC> Seldan says, "Acedia, you've got angry chickens coming your way, and they look like they bite. What do you do?"
<OOC> Acedia says, "She'll try shooting the first one coming out."
GAME: Acedia rolls weapon3: (13)+8: 21
<OOC> Seldan says, "That will hit. Roll damage."
GAME: Acedia rolls 1d8: (7): 7
<OOC> Seldan says, "You damage it! The one you hit has a wattle and comb, and looks like a big rooster."
Acedia squeaks as the bwak-bwak sounds are heard and the terror-chickens come flooding out of the hole. She raises up the dragonspitter and fires, a loud boom echoing about the countryside. "Die you stoopid birds!"
GAME: Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 11.
It is now Male Cockatrice's turn! Female Cockatrice is next!
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+9: (9)+9: 18
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d4-2: (4)+-2: 2
GAME: You damaged Acedia for 2 points. 26 HP remaining.
<OOC> Seldan says, "Acedia, Fortitude save."
<OOC> Acedia says, "Ow. Stoopid bird. xD"
GAME: Acedia rolls fortitude: (15)+3: 18
<OOC> Acedia phews?
<OOC> Seldan says, "You're good."
GAME: Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 10.
It is now Female Cockatrice's turn! Orenthal is next!
<OOC> Seldan says, "Since both of mine come together, I will resolve both and pose both."
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+9: (4)+9: 13
<OOC> Seldan says, "His mate, for the second one does not seem to have a wattle and comb, goes after Orenthal, but misses."
These creatures look like someone dropped big chickens into the top of the ugly tree and let them hit every branch on the way down. Dirty, molting feathers, long necks, and wrinkled brown skin - and vicious-looking beaks. The first one, a bigger creature with a wattle and comb that suggests a male, flies straight at Acedia with a *BWAK!* that mingles pain and anger and takes a bite out of her arm, leaving it and her smeared with blood. The second one, a smaller one with neither wattle nor comb, flies after ORenthal, but her aim is not as good, and he escapes injury from the sharp beak.
GAME: Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round One - Init 4.
It is now Orenthal's turn! Acedia is next!
<OOC> Seldan says, "Orenthal, you have a friend!"
<OOC> Orenthal can I acrobatics past my friend to flank with Acedia's?
<OOC> Seldan says, "Does that avoid AoO?"
<OOC> Seldan says, "It would be a 5' step. You two are pretty close together."
<OOC> Orenthal says, "Oh, then I will 5'. That's no AoO anyhow."
<OOC> Seldan says, "Right."
<OOC> Orenthal needs to flank is the key thing.
<OOC> Seldan says, "You are going after Acedia's? Roll it."
<OOC> Seldan says, "That is fine."
<OOC> Orenthal says, "2 weapon fighting with staff"
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d20+8: (11)+8: 19
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d20+8: (11)+8: 19
<OOC> Seldan says, "Both will hit."
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d6+4+2d6: (3)+4+(8): 15
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d6+4+2d6: (1)+4+(8): 13
<OOC> Seldan says, "You killed it! Pose it."
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 23.
It is now Acedia's turn! Male Cockatrice is next!
<OOC> Acedia says, "I guess then she shall shot the other. :D"
GAME: Acedia rolls weapon3: (2)+8: 10
<OOC> Seldan says, "Miss."
GAME: Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 10.
It is now Female Cockatrice's turn! Orenthal is next!
<OOC> Acedia poses!
<OOC> Seldan says, "Hell hath no fury like a chicken scorned ... or something. The female takes the step and bites at Orenthal."
Orenthal will squeeze past the cockatrice pecking at him to set up a better position to attack the one pecking at Acedia. He's no mighty warrior, but he's an excellent opportunist, and he will use his staff to good effect, smacking it once, and then again while it's paying attention to the gobber, and taking it out of the fight with a hard blow from his silver-shod quarterstaff.
The Gobbo squeaks and flails at the creature and yells when it bites her. "Ow you stupid thing I'm gonna..." She blinks when Orenthal swats it down, and she's just giving the corpse a kick when the other bird is upon them. She turns and fires quickly at the cockatrice, but misses.
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+9: (13)+9: 22 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d4-2: (2)+-2: 0 <OOC> Seldan says, "Orenthal, Fort save." GAME: Orenthal rolls fortitude: (20)+4: 24 (CRITICAL SUCCESS) <OOC> Seldan says, "You so lucky. :)" <OOC> Acedia grins. <OOC> Orenthal says, "Pure skill. ;)"
Seeing her mate go down with a crushed bird skull, the female *SQUAWKS* and takes a hard bite at Orenthal, but her beak doesn't find much purchase, and the bite is no more than a hard pinch.
GAME: Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round Two - Init 4.
It is now Orenthal's turn! Acedia is next!
<OOC> Seldan says, "Orenthal."
<OOC> Orenthal will fight it off, same deal.
<OOC> Orenthal says, "Guessing no way to flank this time?"
<OOC> Seldan says, "Not this time, no."
<OOC> Orenthal says, "If I can, I will 5' step so that Acedia can move into a complementary position next round if she wants."
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d20+6: (18)+6: 24
<OOC> Acedia says, "We completely flunked flank this time around. xD"
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d20+6: (16)+6: 22
<OOC> Seldan says, "Both hit."
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d6+4: (5)+4: 9
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5
<OOC> Seldan says, "You damage it, but do not kill it."
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 23.
It is now Acedia's turn! Female Cockatrice is next!
<OOC> Seldan says, "Acedia."
<OOC> Acedia says, "Another shot at the devil bird."
GAME: Acedia rolls weapon3: (5)+8: 13
<OOC> Acedia says, "The dice are unkind today."
<OOC> Seldan says, "You should steal Orenthal's."
<OOC> Acedia says, "Miss? :P"
<OOC> Seldan says, "Yes."
GAME: Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 10.
It is now Female Cockatrice's turn! Orenthal is next!
Orenthal fends the second cockartice off with his staff, but he's not nearly as skilled when his enemy can focus on him properly. He shifts positions around the monster, and swings twice with the staff, smacking it as best he can with his native skill, such as it is. He injures it, but it's still squawking at him.
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+9: (9)+9: 18
Acedia lets Orenthal beat upon the bird, and huffs to find it is still standing. She reloads and fires once more, huffing again as she missing. "Stand still, you stoopid bird, and let me shoot you!"
GAME: Seldan rolls 2d4-2-2: (6)+-2+-2: 2 GAME: Orenthal rolls fortitude: (2)+4: 6 <OOC> Orenthal says, "Ow." GAME: Seldan rolls 1d4: (3): 3 GAME: You damaged Orenthal's Dexterity for 3 points. 3 total damage. GAME: You damaged Orenthal for 2 points. 34 HP remaining.
The bird, one wing dragging and ugly brown feathers littering the ground from the strikes from that staff, is now well and truly enraged. It dodges away from Acedia's missed dragonspitter shots and takes a chunk out of the rogue again, and this time, it does more than hurt. Blood flows from the wound the beak left, and worse still, Orenthal can feel the flesh around the bite calcify and harden, stiffening the joint and complicating movement. Worse still, both can clearly see where the wound and the flesh around it is beginning to take a brown-gray cast.
GAME: Seldan advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 4.
It is now Orenthal's turn! Acedia is next!
<OOC> Seldan says, "Orenthal."
<OOC> Seldan says, "It moved 5', so Acedia is no longer in flank with it."
<OOC> Orenthal says, "Can I move any amount to get flank back?"
<OOC> Seldan says, "Not without taking AoO."
<OOC> Orenthal will try to acrobatics around the AOO
GAME: Orenthal rolls acrobatics: (19)+8: 27
<OOC> Seldan says, "That will do."
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20
<OOC> Orenthal can't 2wf with dex now.
<OOC> Seldan says, "That will hit."
<OOC> Seldan nods.
GAME: Orenthal rolls 1d6+5+2d6: (1)+5+(8): 14
<OOC> Seldan says, "You just barely killed it."
Orenthal ows as he is pecked by the cockatrice, and he finds himself slowing down, calcifying. His frustration mounts as he's unable to fight with the quarterstaff the way he's used to, even as the cockatrice moves to take up a position even less convenient for him. He shakes his head, and dashes to cut it off, spinning unsteadily on his good foot now that he's got the monster between himself and Acedia. He chokes up on the staff with both hands and, almost like he was using a greatsword, overhand hacks at the cockatrice, caught in the crossfire now, and he nails it hard, taking it down.
GAME: Seldan removes the timestop. Timestop by Seldan has left. GAME: You remove the timestop.
There are now two cockatrices corpses, sprawled lifeless in the dirt near the feed shed, and suddenly, the front door of the farmhouse slams open, and a boy of about ten races out with a pitchfork clutched in his hands. "Get away from the house!" He's looking thin, but otherwise healthy, and stares wide-eyed at the two of you, then at the corpses. "W-who are you? And - and what are those?"
Acedia blinks at the farmhouse door slamming open, and it takes her considerable effort to not fire upon the boy. She lets out a long breath. "They are cockatrices. They look like evil chickens, and they can turn you to stone with a bite." The Gobbo points to Orenthal. "If you see his wound, it is greying and hardening as we speak. We will have to get your parents to a temple, the priests can reverse the petrification. I hope."
Orenthal laughs as the boy shows up a bit late, and holds up his hands in a placating manner. "Ah, don't worry," he tells the boy. "We're from the Guild and we're here to help." He looks at the two bodies, and he says, "Those are the things that are stealing your chickens and turned your rooster to stone." He doesn't mention the parents yet in case the kid doesn't know, and winces as Acedia spills the beans. Well, the kid probably does know, at that. "There will he help," he agrees.
<OOC> Orenthal can throw some diplomacy on that? <OOC> Seldan says, "Go ahead." GAME: Orenthal rolls diplomacy: (9)+11: 20
The tow-headed kid just nods. It is clear enough that he knows of their fate. "Yeah." It's then that Orenthal's words sink in. "You're from the Guild?" he asks suddenly, his eyes going as wide as saucers. "And you - you killed those things? And you'll go get the Temple?" He looks like he's so relieved he wants to cry.
In the end, the farm proves to be at least mostly functional. The boy had pulled the hens into the house to keep them safe, and there will be a cleanup job there, but otherwise has at least mostly managed to keep the animals from starving. Getting a local priest to help the parents is not difficult, and for now, the pair can head back to Alexandria, knowing that this was a job well done.
Acedia tries to be as cheerful as possible, even going as far to ruffles the boy's hair. "Indeed. Your parents will be as right as rain, yeah? You did good, saving the chickens and keeping yourself safe.
Orenthal is a bit amazed that the child was so resourceful, but it must be different out here than in the city.