Glutton Mutton
Log Info
- Title: Glutton Mutton
- Emitter: Cryosanthia
- Characters: Aimarra, Jaen, Pasithea
- Place: H07: Kultari Road Outside Vadran Village
- Time: Friday, November 20, 2020, 3:29 PM
- Summary: There are infernal beasts in the forest, the Explorer's guild has hired a small group of adventurers to deal with this before the problem grows. They track them in the area they were last spotted and discover... sheep. Taking careful hiding positions, they fire at range. The Infernal Flock notices them and charges them, taking some time to cover the distance. Melee ensues, with Jaen and Pasithea engaging directly. Aimarra kills the ram. Pasithea, dream sorceress, gets half the ewes attacking her and several head-butts to the face. She's nearly knocked out before her party-mates kill the sheep. Examining them, they are definitely infernal and infected, and there are likely more. Pasithea faints, and realizes these sheep work in place of humans, allowing some of the more vile rituals to take place right on Alexandria's doorstep!
-=--=--=--=--=--<* H07: Kultari Road Outside Vadran Village *>--=--=--=--=--=-
The meandering Kultari Road runs right past this small village. The village itself exists at a crossways, where Eldwyn Road and Kultari Road converge, before each wanders past and on its way. Logs surround the village Vadran in a carefully laid, though commoner's defense. During off times, children can be seen tumbling and balancing on the log surfaces, or chasing each other in games of tag. In look and form, Vadran could be any of the number of villages that dot the Alexandrian countryside.
Beyond the village is an expanse of farmland, country roads, and the occasional, wooded area. During the days, horses and mules can be seen, strapped to plows and other means of work and labor. During the weekends, the center of the village will be filled with social activity.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Aimarra 5'1" 128 Lb Half-Elf Female Brown hair and eyes, breastplate, leathers, pointed ears. Jaen 5'7" 130 Lb Wild Elf Male Wiry green-haired sylvanori in hide wrappings. Pasithea 3'2" 38 Lb Halfling Female Tall female lucht, willowy, Hair dark as night -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= As the GM -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Some time has passed. The squatters of the Way Station have had time to recover, get cured of disease, and see Bahsim off at the Temple of the Grey Lady. They are ready and willing to accompany their evictors to search the forest and find the infernal creatures that killed their leader.
And the adventurer's guild is ready and willing to pay for someone to go out there and kill the creatures. The city has had enough of mysterious infernal plagues, and its best to be proactive and nip this one in the bud. The jobs went up, came down, and the mixed group finds itself a little further afield than the Way Station, but in the right area according to the directions provided by the Sniper Elf.
Pasithea is here, mostly. The Dreamspun sorcerous lucht manages to keep up as best her short legs can despite her tendency to drift off to near sleep even as she's walking. Spear carried in the crook of one arm and yawning. Eyes open just enough to keep her from stumbling.
Aimarra had been watching for this particular job, and was swift to sign up when they appeared. On the walk there, she had explained the situation in terse and neutral terms to her new compatriots, doubtless aided by details from those of the squatter group to accompany them. "The short of it is, there's infernal stuff running around in the woods, capable of spreading disease. That needs to be gone, now."
The decision to split the group was made, Dhandlus, Velk and the Sniper Elf heading into the woods to the last known location to make an effort to lure or drive the infernals into the open. Or, enter battle with them and make enough noise that help could arrive.
Leaving Jaen, Pasithea to follow Aimarra's lead in approaching the origin point, and see if they can find the Infernals that way. So, there is the possibility of help, it things go really sideways.
But first the creatures have to be found.
GAME: Aimarra rolls survival: (19)+11: 30 GAME: Jaen rolls survival: (2)+8: 10 GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (12)+10: 22 GAME: Jaen rolls perception: (2)+10: 12 GAME: Pasithea rolls perception: (3)+3: 6
Bad, corrupted things in the wild spreading bad diseases... are bad. This is more than enough cause for Jaen to want to find said bad things and make them not bad. Cause and effect are two different things, however, and actually finding them may be a challenge unto itself.
Sheep tracks. Lots of sheep tracks. Seemingly normal sheep tracks, except there are a lot of trees with horn damage around ram height, and some of the bark looks sickly, burnt and flowering strange funguses
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "roll for encounter range Aimarra" GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+12: (3)+12: 15
Aimarra might not be a great one for conversation, but her eyes are keen and her knowledge of the wild places good. She walks confidently, slowing as they get closer, examining first the ground, and then a tree whose bark bears the signs of a blunt-force hit, coupled with burn marks and a strange, mottled purple fungus around it. "Sheep," she says quietly, then looks down the trail to where a small flock of sheep appears to be grazing. "I don't like the look of that. Get into the brush, if sheep get a good run going, they can hit you pretty hard. The brush ought to slow them down."
It looks like a small bunch of rams, they all have horns, except... 3 are smaller. Perhaps the smaller ones are ewes. It's hard to see for sure at the distance. Weird.
Pasithea doesn't need to be told twice even if she nearly bumps into Aimarra. A slow nod from the small one and she eases into the brush and tries to be silent and sealthy. Her normal sleepy silence trying to assist her.
GAME: Aimarra rolls stealth: (18)+6: 24 GAME: Pasithea rolls stealth: (20)+8: 28 GAME: Jaen rolls stealth: (19)+1: 20 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Okay, there is a +15 distance and a +2 undergrowth to stealth, so.. they are NOT going to see you." GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (13)+8: 21 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (3)+6: 9
"Sheep?" Jaen repeats quietly, confused, though crouches down in the brush to lower his profile and try to avoid being noticed. Not too low, though. The last thing he'd want to do if there are vile sheep about is pretend to be grass.
There is a small group of sheep. They are far enough away, and the forest exists enough that they aren't going to notice the group for now. Everyone has time to prepare, spells, traps, a firing solution.
Occasionally, one of the sheep will seem to have a possessed moment, bleat loudly and charge at something nearby. The >THOCK< of impact is heard at range.
"Yeah." Aimarra suits actions to words and moves into the brush, and shortly is pretty difficult to see. You'd need to know exactly where to look, and sheep apparently don't. Slowly, slowly, she loosens the bow from her back and pulls it to full draw weight, then nocks an arrow. "Looks like it's all rams. That's evey worse, usually males fight," she tells the others in a low hiss.
GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon1-2: (14)+7+-4: 17 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+2: (6)+2: 8
Slowly, ever so slowly, Aimarra raises the bow, aims it up just a little, and releases. Her eye proves true, and the reason for the upward angle becomes clear enough as the arrow arcs downward to bury itself in the closest of the rams.
Pasithea is counting the sheep.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (3)+8: 11 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+10: (13)+10: 23
The Ram is hit! It bleats loudly. The sheep look up, all are looking around but it is one of the smaller rams that spots Aimarra. It 'baaas', and runs towards her, the others follow, answering with their own 'baaas'. The biggest ram looks furious, at being shot and left behind, he follows the flock as they wind around the underbrush.
The sheep have just started their run, and are still a distance away from the party.
Jaen is going to wait for now, until he see the whites of their ewes.
The ram rumbles towards the party. He covers some distance, getting within thirty feet of the group. It's possible to see the whites of his eyes. Except, they aren't white. They're an unsettling red, made worse by the horizontal pupil. It's a baleful stare on a good day, and he's having a bad one.
Jaen doesn't have a bow, nor sling, nor extremely long arms. He could rush out to meet them, but that may make him more likely to be trampled like grass. For now, then, he waits for the rams to run themselves into reach.
GAME: Pasithea casts Ear-Piercing Scream. Caster Level: 2 DC: 15 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (19)+6: 25 (Ram Fort) GAME: Pasithea rolls 1d6: (6): 6
The little sorcerer's eyes open wide enough to see the suddenly approaching Ram and it's red eyes. She sucks in a breath and her heart races hard enough to wake her up! She makes a couple motions and then puts hand to mouth as if speaking through a megaphone. There is no sound but the ram flinches and blood trickles from one of it's ears.
The ewes are close behind, coming up behind the larger sheep. The count of them was off however, two more seemingly appeared out of the underbrush and join the flock in their charge.
Sheep though, why did it have to be sheep? It's hardly a battle one would brag about at the pub. It's the sort of thing that would invite puns, and 'so you're allergic to wool then?' jokes.
Perhaps, the INFERNAL part should be emphasized. While these are fluffy, they are not friendly. All of them, even the ewes have horns. The ridges on those horns look sharp as razor blades. They have fangs too, that a wolf would envy, a set of choppers designed to rend flesh, and their grinding teeth would work as well on bones as grass. Plus, there's that look in their eyes, just enough intelligence to be cruel. To have some primitive tactics, and trample someone when they're down.
No, these aren't sheep, they're fanged hell-beasts with woolen armour that eat people, and they're just about close enough to try.
GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon1+1: (8)+7+1: 16 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+2+1: (6)+2+1: 9
Oh, hell. Literally. Climbing the tree would have been smart! Aimarra swears and looses another of those cold iron arrows into the same ram, and this time it keels over with a last gasping bleat. "Be careful!"
The ram drops, it's final bleat drawing out into a death gurgle. It bleeds, infernally.
GAME: Jaen RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 6 temporary HP GAME: Jaen rolls finesse: (5)+7+2: 14 GAME: Jaen rolls 1d6+strength+2: (2)+2+2: 6
Jaen has waited long enough and now darts his way towards the incoming, menacing, woolen-armored agents of EVIL. His nails elongate into claws and his teeth grow to something not -quite- as fearsome as the ovinoids.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Pasi moves to tree +2 AC, +1 Reflex. use up a spell when she gets back." GAME: Pasithea casts Ear-Piercing Scream. Caster Level: 2 DC: 15 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Save for I-Ewe" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (6)+5: 11 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "not save, dam is 1d6 I believe" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d6: (6): 6 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "um.. random which one she hit, 1 is the one Jaen hit" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d5: (1): 1 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Pasithea kills the one Jaen was fighting"
The sleepy sorceress fires another Ear Piercing Scream at the ewes. This will wake them up and get their attention! The one fighting Jaen bleats uncomfortably and drops, bleeding.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "They randomly pick targets! 1 Aimarra, 2 Jaen, 3 Pasithea" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d3: (3): 3 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d3: (2): 2 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d3: (3): 3 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d3: (3): 3< <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Jaen, you can AOO one of the ones heading for Pasithea as it goes by you" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Ewe on Jaen, then the ones on Pasi. The tree prevents them flanking" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (13)+3: 16 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2 GAME: Infernal Ewe damaged Jaen for 2 points. 33 AND 4 TEMP HP remaining. GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (10)+3: 13 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (16)+3: 19 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (5)+3: 8 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Infernal Ewe damaged Pasithea for 4 points. 9 HP remaining.
The red-eyed ewes rush to attack. Pasithea seems to have drawn their attention as three of them surround her and try to head-butt her. She's just the right height for their horns in her face. The fluffy, angry sheep crowd her against the tree, which provides just enough protection only one of them manages to get a solid >thock< in.
Leaving one to attack Jaen, with its sharp horns tearing a chunk in his leg.
GAME: Jaen rolls finesse+2: (12)+7+2: 21 GAME: Jaen rolls 1d6+strength+2: (6)+2+2: 10
Jaen drops one, slicing into her sides so badly the ewe dies as it rushes Pasithea.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "OH! Fort Saves if you took damage, DC15" GAME: Pasithea rolls fort: (4)+3: 7 GAME: Jaen rolls fortitude: (14)+6: 20
The Ewe's attacks not only leave some damage, they leave some disease behind too. Eeew.
GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon1+1: (7)+7+1: 15 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Hits, and make a bluff check. DC10" GAME: Aimarra rolls bluff: (3)+2: 5 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+1+2: (1)+1+2: 4
"Hey!" Without thinking, Aimarra levels her bow at another of the rams as Pasithea is beset, and buries a third arrow - not as deep as she'd like. "Hey, over here!"
GAME: Jaen rolls finesse+2: (5)+7+2: 14 GAME: Jaen rolls finesse+2: (12)+7+2: 21 GAME: Jaen rolls finesse+2: (15)+7+2: 24 GAME: Jaen rolls 1d6+strength+2: (4)+2+2: 8 GAME: Jaen rolls 1d4+strength+2: (3)+2+2: 7 <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "you rip the sheep to shreds, and taste blood. Roll Fort, DC15" GAME: Jaen rolls fortitude: (8)+6: 14
Jaen doesn't like being butted, much less by razor-sharp horns. He retaliates with both claws, and even lunges in for a bite of after one set of claws miss. In hindsight, perhaps not the brightest move considering the mutton may be malevolent.
The mutton is rutton. Rotten. Well, infected. As the Ewe is torn to shreds some of that disease is spread and Jaen bears the brunt of it.
Meanwhile, the infernal ram has failed in life. He had only a few goals: grow big; headbutt things; breed ewes; eat people, and the greatest of them was eat people. His tongue lolls and his blood drains away, but one thing cannot be disputed. He did grow a great coat.
GAME: Pasithea casts Ear-Piercing Scream. Caster Level: 2 DC: 15 GAME: Pasithea rolls 1d6: (3): 3 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+5: (14)+5: 19 (Ewe Ram)
Pasithea is awake! Heart is beating too fast not to be. Blood trickling from her nose and her face swelling she steps back away from the ewes and casts her spell again. Again witht he silent scream that makes a sheeps' ears bleed..slightly. And she braces the best she can as she's socked a second time!
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (3)+3: 6 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (19)+3: 22 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5 GAME: Infernal Ewe damaged Pasithea for 5 points. 4 HP remaining.
The ewes are hear Aimarra's taunts, but are not drawn away. Especially as one of them has suddenly become hard of hearing and has a pain in her head. So the Ewes do's what they do's. Bleat angrily and lower their heads to slam their horns into Pasithea again.
The one with the bleeding ears misses. The other one connects solidly, and the little lucht sees teeth, unfriendly eyes, and a solid wall of wool that knocks her into the tree she's sheltering beside.
GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon1+1: (15)+7+1: 23 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+1+2: (6)+1+2: 9
Aimarra lets out a rather salty Veyshanti oath as her companions are being hit again, and switches targets, this time to the bleeding ewe - and this time, she doesn't miss, another cold iron arrow burying itself deep into the creature's side. With a last evil-sounding scream, it keels over motionless.
The darkness that the sheep came from takes them back. In their minds; their bodies remain.
The lucht is bleeding now, fully from the nose and down her outfit. Her left eye swollen shut and right eye fearfull. She sticks out her spear and goes fully on the defensive rather then try to attack. Breaths going rapidly as she fights off panic.
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+3: (2)+3: 5
There's something about the lucht siuil. Perhaps it is her hair, or her fuzzy legs. Perhaps it's because her head is at eye level, and the Ewe enjoys seeing the terror in them as she rears to strike. Perhaps it understands that she's the smallest, potentially the weakest, and most likely to suffer from an attack. While wool might be spun into wonderfully comfortable clothes, this ewe wants pain to be her legacy.
"Baaaaa!" With a bleat of rage she rears and rushes... and misses the ducking and dodging sorceress.
GAME: Aimarra rolls weapon1+1: (11)+7+1: 19 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d6+2+1: (6)+2+1: 9
The little half-sil is absolutely deadly with that bow in her hand, her scowl laser-locked on the last remaining devil sheep like a wolf moving in for the kill. Once again the bow sings, a cold iron shaft flying from the arrow. Once again, there's an evil-sounding bleat as the arrow finds its mark, sinking deep into its brainpan and leaving it dead in the brush.
Once all are gone, she looks around, wincing at the shape the other two are in. "That was a woolly fight. Are you two all right?"
GAME: Pasithea rolls knowledge/arcana: (17)+8: 25 (vs DC20)
Jaen takes a knee to rest for a moment, "Yes, just let me rest." He coughs.
All the sheep are dead. Now that they aren't moving it's easier to get a look at them. The smaller ones are ewes, that is clear, they have obvious udders even if they have horns. The horns are sharper than regular bovidae, each ridge on them coming to an edge. Even their hooves are sharp, and the teeth, as before, seem more suitable for carnivores.
The wool coat seems exceptional, good protection from the animals and possibly would have additional magical properties if treated right. However, it's likely infected. Every one of the sheep exhibits the strange growths that Bahsim had, and sections of the hide have bulbous pustuiles that have burst during this fight and drained into the fur. The wild-elf can attest, these things do not taste good. Their blood is foul. And the half-elf saw, even their scrapings and impact damage can leave the foliage infected. The whole area might need careful attention from a druid.
Or rough love from some fire. Assuming that fire can affect an infernal infection. And while this flock has been fleeced, the impression from the Way Station Squatters was that there were more, and whatever tear let them into this world hasn't been observed by the adventurers and dealt with.
Pasithea still pants beside the tree, almost clinging to it. The threat seems to have passed however and her eye closes as if exhausted. The other eye is already closed. In truth it seems she falls asleep for a moment, spear tip dipping to touch the ground. She jerks awake, eye opening wide. "Sacrifice!" She blurts out and then her voice goes back toit's normal hushed tone. "Sacrifice.. these.. can be used.. in place of....of a humaniod sacrifice.. in demonic ritual.." He voice fading as she again starts to fight off her sleepy nature.
This is true, they may be used them sacrificial rituals if humanoid victims are not available.
Infernal sheep are created by Caracoroth. They are popular for the useful products they generate: good a wool and milk, as well as for the amusement generated when a seemingly docile animal turns violent and murderous. Man-eating lambs may find their way into local livestock markets in order to induce chaos. The sheep are sexually dimorphic; rams are much larger than ewes. Both sexes have horns, and they are somewhat of an intimidating sight. They are just intelligent enough to be evilman-eating sheep of both sexes enjoy drawing out their attacks in order to induce fear and pain.'
"Demonic ritual. Wonderful. I need Tawyse and I want more cold iron arrows. It's probably time to have my bow enchanted, too, because whoever did this is going down." Aimarra's tone is as cold as a blizzard wind as she looks around her. "But nobody's hunting anything right now." One by one, she hunts down her arrows and examines them.
<OOC> Aimarra says, "High they're good, low they're not." GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d100: (60): 60 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d100: (97): 97 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d100: (71): 71 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d100: (77): 77 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d100: (4): 4 GAME: Aimarra rolls 1d100: (17): 17
Aimarra says, "So two broke."
Pasithea raises a trembling hand to her face and winces. She rips off a piece of her bloodstained clothing and presses it to her nose. "...oww.." She whispers and amazingly enough still fights off sleep. Waking as her face touches the tree she winces again and sucks in a breath, moving towards the archer. "Thanks..for helping me.."
The forest is quiet, for now. Left too long it could turn into another eruption of the Felwood. And while the Infernal Sheep on their own are dangerous, their existence suggests a shepherd. Especially if they can be used in rituals. That would be an advantage to the dark religions. No one would miss a sheep at all.
Evil Sheep
https://www.broadsheet.ie/2019/01/10/demon-sheep/
Combatty Stuff
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 4 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
21 Jaen 1 Raging (4 rnds active)
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14 Infernal Ram 1
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12 Pasithea 1
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10 Infernal Ewes 1
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>> 5 Aimarra 1 <<
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| Name | CHP (T) | HP |
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| Aimarra.......| 28 | 28 |
| Jaen..........| 33 +4 | 33 |
| Pasithea......| 4 | 13 |
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| Name | Race | Class | CHP | HP | AC/FF/T |CMD |For |Ref |Wil |
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|Aimarra |HALF-ELF |Rgr | 28 | 28 |20/17/14 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 3 |
|Jaen |WILD_ELF |Bbn | 33 | 33 |16/12/12 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
|Pasithea |HALFLING |Sor | 4 | 13 |14/11/14 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
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<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "You are in sparse forest with sparse undergrowth. Which means, roughly, you have the option getting into the undergrowth or using the trees for cover, but aren't too impeded by them. When enemies appear, you can position yourself so undergrowth would block a charge relatively easily, but if you don't specify it will be 50/50 if you want to do one, or they want to do one on you, since I didn't make a map this time."