Any portal in a storm - Ezra Monday June 3rd, 2013 5:33:48 PM Without going back through old posts, I thought it was something like several minutes of walking from the portal to the village, so a 1/4 mile is about right.
The others are all in the village, with the exception of Ariach, who stands between the ooze and the village, though much closer to the village.
For those in the village, we can hurry this up with some diplomacy rolls and grapple checks for those wanting to throw 100# teen ager's over their shoulders.
Wilma makes a grab for Naomi's one, and only, good arm.
Grell yells at Heath as Andrei runs to keep up, still pestering Grell with questions. Seeing Ariach has stopped, Grell turns and runs back towards Ariach.
Tuck, seeing Wilma with several of the children continues into the village and runs around a corner to find a blushing Katrin quickly placing her hands back in her lap next to a guilty eyed Hastein.
Emrys and Vaniime are standing below where the closed portal is, 30' below.
Emrys' form shifts as he returns to his normal form. He can sense Focus attempting to continue shifting into ooze and slipping through Emrys fingers, as had happened earlier. Emrys manages to maintain a tenuous grasp on the scepter. As Emrys uses Focus to search out for the newest threat, he realizes that he can't control this ooze, it has its own will. And a hungry one at that.
I am the key, without me you can not leave, I feel your grasp weakening. The sleeper has awakened! Let me go, and I promise to protect you! Once she has assimilated a few of your friends she may be inclined to go back to sleep. Emrys can feel the laughter of Focus reverberating through his skull.
Ariach AC 26/14/19 ; HP 51/59 Monday June 3rd, 2013 6:21:28 PM
OOC: *The HUGE ooze is flowing faster than Ariach can run and will overrun him without action.* That means that Ariach has no chance to reach the portal right in time- or?
Tuck HP 29/42 AC 18/18/14 Monday June 3rd, 2013 8:55:30 PM
Tuck grabs Katrin in one hand and Hastein in another and propels them in the direction of Emrys. "Go! Your lives are in danger. Run!"
He looks around wildly for any other children or the baker. If none are being cajoled into running towards the portal, Tuck will run in their direction to push them on.
Wilma; AC17 (+1 Mithril chain shirt); HP 35/35; Fly d20+2=4 ; d20+2=14 ; Monday June 3rd, 2013 9:13:46 PM OOC: burning a Hero Point because my first roll SUCKED. Wilma's Diplomacy check is 14.
"Listen to me!" Wilma said emphatically, looking around at everyone in the room. "We went to that fortress, but we had the bad luck to wake up a HUUUUUGE monster--and it's about to flood this area! We all have to run for the portal...rightnow!!!"
Emrys rolls his eyes and says, "Oh reeaally, YOU save me?! Is that riight!" His words dripping with haughty derision and mockery. (Intimidate: 21) "Listen up, you slimy, dung stick! You are a key to an overflowing latrine, the keeper to a pit of muck. So listen now, THIS is what will happen! IF we ALL don't leave this place, I will personally feed you to the sleeper, myself. I'm sure it would be overjoyed to suckle on a juicy, little morsel like you. It would be my delight to personally hand you over to him."
The bewitching bard then turns to the spot where the portal once opened. With the might of his presence and force of will, Emrys invokes the power of the scepter to open a portal to the Wold.
Vaniime AC 18/14/15, HP:40/45, Dodge Monday June 3rd, 2013 11:13:31 PM
Van near the portal with Emrys lloks behind to see what's going on and feels the stress of leadership begin to press down mightily upon her. Wilma and Tuck are stopping and grabbing kids etc to get them moving, while Grell seems to be running back toward.... What the Heck!!!! That can not be Ariach back there trying to face down the wave/ooze thing by himself. What is that foolish one doing? Pretending he is a paladin or something? Knowing at this point there is little she can do beefore something drastic happens, she trusts that Grell can get him moving again or can hold things together until they can all get back to help.
Grell, AC20/13/18, HP63/68 Monday June 3rd, 2013 11:52:55 PM
Grell continues to run toward Ariach, determined that the warrior will not be left behind. He screams at the top of his lungs "Ariach, c'mon brother, don't give up now! Keep running or so help me, I will CARRY you to that portal like a baby!!" Grell continues to run after Ariach until he should decide to change course and begin running back toward the portal.
OOC: Ariach, with a move rate of 20, you should be traveling at 80 feet per round while running. DM...how fast does the wave travel?
Any portal in a storm - Ezra Tuesday June 4th, 2013 1:32:07 PM Ariach's base speed is 20 with the armor on. The creature's base speed is 40' (faster than an average human). Ariach ran for 6 rounds. The creature waited one round on shore before heading towards the village, which was the direction Ariach was running in. It will get to Ariach in 3 rounds if he remains standing still, and nobody else does anything.
Tuck DC 20 Perc Highlight to display spoiler: {In the distance you see a leg and foot sticking past the edge of a building, another of the kids.}
Katrin and Heath look at each other and shrug before heading towards the portal at a leisurely pace, Our lives have been in danger of starvation or turning into an ooze for two years! I wonder if the bread is done?
Wilma yells at the two girls and Ms. Goode. The girls look at each other bewildered and with growing fear. What kind of monster? What did you do? Ms. Goode gives Wilma a grandmotherly smile, the bread is almost done, and then we can all have some nice fresh bread, I even found a small pot of honey! She seems nonplussed at the urgency of the situation.
Emrys invokes a power within the scepter. The scepter begins vibrating as a sickly grey-green glow of incandescent energy starts spiraling along its length. Emrys arm begins to shake as the scepter's vibrations continue to grow in frequency setting his teeth to chattering.
Just when he thinks that he won't be able to hold on any longer the swirling light is sucked into the scepter and the shaking stops.
A moment later a beam of energy shoots forth from the end of the scepter, The burst of energy is visible across the entire demiplane, lighting up the sky and providing something akin to daylight, though with a sickly green tint. The deam of energy blasts an invisible disk in the air 30' up and spreads across itin a swirl of light as the portal yawns open.
As Emrys recovers from the light, he sees that the detritus of innumerable oozes that makes up the 'land' he stands on has formed a slight mound under his feet.
Vaniime watches events unfold. While Grell rushes back to Ariach.
In the distance, and with the newly provided light, both can now see the ooze heading for the village.
Wilma; AC17 (+1 Mithril chain shirt); HP 35/35; Fly Tuesday June 4th, 2013 2:44:34 PM
For a moment, Wilma can only stare at Mistress Goode. Why in the Wold is the woman just standing there? The cleric of Gargul has practically screamed--TWICE--about the danger they're all in.
It was as if Mistress Goode was sure that she wouldn't be effected by the onslaught of the monstrous ooze that was the heart and soul of this forsaken pocket plane.
Wait...
...heart...and soul...?
"Sorry, girls, no time to explain--just trust me and RUN for where the portal is--Emrys is there and will help you when you reach it..." So saying, Wilma firmly pushed Naomi out the door of the hut, her eyes looking over the unnaturally-serene baker at the table as she positioned herself so that she blocked the older woman from possible pursuit of the children Wilma had urged out for the third time.
Gargul help her if she was wrong, but...
"By the power of the Lord of Life and Death," the young priestess intoned her left hand raising and brandishing the silver stylized eye that was the holy symbol of Gargul, "I demand to know the location of...that missing heartseed...!" The image of one of the seeds from the set that the Vanguard had uncovered in the slime fortress flashed across Wilma's mind's eye. Then she thought:
'Gargul help me if I'm right...'
OOC: Wilma is casting her Locate Object spell because she's suddenly thought that it is horribly possible that the missing heartseed had already been found and taken root in Mistress Goode. My apologies if it hasn't, because that will no doubt mean that Wilma will be single-handedly responsible for Grell never being able to indulge in a delicious baked breakfast spread from Mistress Goode ever again...
Ezra: Wilma's hand wiggles as Gargul's eye blinks and rotates, pulling her hand around to look first at her, staring into her own eye as if from Gargul himself. The eye seems to stare into her very soul before twisting about and staring into the distance, past Ms. Goode. Wilma's vision blurs as she no longer sees from her own eyes, but from the eye of her holy symbol. At first the view is disorienting with a fisheye perspective before it rapidly traverses past Ms. Goode, through the flames of the oven, through the wall of the dilapidated building and across the landscape of ooze crust. The view flashes past Heath pulling a small sack from under some rubble. The view shifts with a dizzying wave and rushes beyond past Andrei half-heartedly jogging towards the portal with his head swinging back and forth as he searches for something. Another abrupt change in direction and Grell and Ariach slide into view as they face down a creature from nightmares. A roll upwards and the fisheye view suddenly telescopes to look at a bubble floating above the demiplane with an attractive woman with crazed green eyes surrounded by unkempt curly hair. Her gaze is locked on a small starpoint of the bubble that surrounds her. Finally, the eye resumes its fisheye view looking down over the expanse of the village and the portal before rushing in to encompass Emrys and Vaniime into focus. a greyish glow surrounds Focus for a moment before fading. The same glow surrounds Vaniime and pulses once before Wilma's vision blacks out. The symbol in her hand is once more a metallic silver lidless eye.
Ariach AC 26/14/19 ; HP 51/59 Tuesday June 4th, 2013 4:41:45 PM
If Ariach sees a chance to reach the portal before the ooze touches him, he will run. But if it is a dead issue he prefers to die while fighting the ooze instead of fleeing from it.
Ezra: There is always a chance. Together we win, divided we get eaten, or something like that. Ariach on his own has little chance of avoiding the creature. Ariach can easily see that this creature will likely eat them all for lunch if given a chance.
Tuck HP 29/42 AC 18/18/14 d20+11=13 ; d20+11=24 ; Tuesday June 4th, 2013 7:55:10 PM
Tuck looks around for other children and almost misses the well hidden child behind another structure (Perception 13, used Hero point to reroll for 24.)
"Run, if you want to go home," he says to Katrin and Heath before he sprints to where he saw the other child behind the building.
Emrys ac10, hp20/20. light, prestidigitation d20+9=24 ; d100=80 ; Tuesday June 4th, 2013 9:33:16 PM
(Will save: 24, if needed to maintain the portal)
Emrys answers Vaniime's question simply, "Uhh, I don't know!" He looks at the portal and returns his gaze to his friends. The pale green illumination from the portal casts an eerily disturbing light on the landscape. The "sleeper" in the distance almost causes his legs to buckle.
"What is Ariach doing? By the gods, Ariach ... RUN!" He points his finger at Ariach and mutters a few words of power. (Leyline: 80, free cast! Big deal, it's a 0-level, sigh! Casting Message, range 130-ft.) However, Emrys chooses not to whisper. "ARIACH ... THIS IS NOT YOUR TIME! GET TO THE PORTAL!"
He then asks Vaniime another question, "Why is Wilma staring at us like that?"
DM Ezra - Can't see Wilma from where you are. Even though the lighting is now as good as day, though tinted. And Ariach is well beyond the message range.
Wilma; AC17 (+1 Mithril chain shirt); HP 35/35; Fly Wednesday June 5th, 2013 5:10:20 AM
Wilma frowned, paradoxically both relieved and disturbed that her spell revealed such mixed signals. However, she was satisfied that Mrs. Goode wasn't heartseeded, but only oddly dismissive of the fact that Wilma was a member of an adventuring group that the very social baker had started this morning by insisting that she had heard of and greatly respected.
"Mistress Goode," Wilma said succinctly, "The Vanguard has found the way home--but we also are being chased by a HUUUUUGE ooze monster that we know we MUST get you and the children away from. WE MUST LEAVE RIGHT NOW OR WE'LL ALL DIE!!!" The priestess turned around and herded the two girls in front of her towards the location of the portal.
"Honest to gods, girls," Wilma muttered, "I don't know why it is that you all were happy to send us off to that fortress so that we could find a way home and then just NOT listen to us when you see us running for our lives and yelling that we all have to go now...! Move it, dears--I don't want to lose you to that...thing..."
Grell, AC20/13/18, HP63/68 Wednesday June 5th, 2013 7:21:24 AM
Grell continues to run to Ariach, unsure of how he will help his brother in arms, but determined none the less not to abandon him to the ooze wave. As he runs, Grell continues to scream "Ariach, brother, time to move!! If you don't start running, then I'm going to have to go down there and then we're both going to die a glorious and pointless death. So if you want to help me, START RUNNING!!! Grell's screams are beginning to come in between pants, the physical exertion starting to wear on the well training athlete.
OOC to DM: Correct me if I'm wrong.... Ariach's move rate is 20, so if he's running, then he should cover 4x20=80 feet per round.
The wave travels at 40 feet per round and CAN NOT RUN. So it covers 40 feet per round.
So if Ariach is running, then he should keep a lead of 40 feet per round. So even with a move rate of 20 if he chooses to run, Ariach should be able to outdistance the wave.
dm ezra: im on my cell, oozes cant run?
Ariach AC 26/14/19 ; HP 51/59 Wednesday June 5th, 2013 10:03:40 AM
As Ariachs hears Grell screaming that he comes and picks him up he shakes his head. Knowing that Grell is such a mule the young warrior starts to run again forward Grellīs voice. "Bring yourself to safety Grell! Donīt be a fool! I will not make it right in time but i donīt want to die knowing i am responsible for your death too."
Tuck HP 29/42 AC 18/18/14 Wednesday June 5th, 2013 8:34:37 PM
Tuck continues on towards the hidden child.
Grell, AC20/13/18, HP63/68 Wednesday June 5th, 2013 9:08:26 PM
Grell screams back to Ariach "Well then, you better get your butt moving, because if you go, I go!" Grell is glad to see that Ariach is beginning to travel back toward the portal. He slows his pace so that Ariach catches up, and changes course so that he and Ariach are now running toward the portal.
Any portal in a storm - Ezra Wednesday June 5th, 2013 9:24:02 PM But these children have been just starving, look how skinny they are! Are you sure we have to leave now? The bread will be done in just another minute or two. Ms. Goode looks in her makeshift oven, see, the crust is just starting to brown.
Vaniime and Emrys discuss what they should do while they wait for the others. Over thier heads the portal glows open. Vaniime realizes that he is looking up at Emrys more than usual and sees that there is a small upthrust of ground beneath Emrys feet. The rest of the ground is rather flat.
Grell and Ariach debate the meaning of life.
Tuck comes around a corner to see Gurtrude, the weird one, she's feeding something to a small ooze in her lap.
Heath is jogging towards the portal. Andrei has stopped about half way between the portal and the village, looking back at the village.
Naomi and Natasha stumble out from between the buildings, Naomi isn't able to maintain much of a run with her balance continuously thrown off by her missing arm. Natasha keeps pace with her, a step behind, watching Naomi. The two of them head for Andrei.
Heath and Katrin also come out and start stumbling off towards Andrei, holding each other's hands.
It's obvious to any observers that two years of malnourishment are quickly taking their toll on the kids.
"Vaniime," asks Emrys in elven, "Where is Mrs. Goode and the children? From here I can hear Wilma heralding their imminent doom. On one side, a portal shines as bright as the midday sun! On the other, a mountain-sized ooze, in plain sight of all, is barrelling down upon them; the ground ripples and shakes with every slam it makes. One must conclude that not only do they lack the faculty of sight and appear impervious to sound, but are also total and complete muttonheads!! Humans can be so thoroughly daft!!"
His outburst of frustration has obviously overrun his every barrier of modesty and decorum.
Having noticed that the floor had risen, Emrys receives the spark of inspiration he was looking for. He points the scepter toward the giant ooze. "I can't influence the beast, but maybe I can the ground!" Emrys then tries to raise a barrier, or a series of barriers, from out of the ground that would impede the giant oozes progress.
(Emrys wishes to block or at least cause the giant ooze's path to become difficult terrain. It shouldn't be able to "Run" through it.)
DM Ezra - Carl forgot to put a range on the control aspect, so... done. Several waves and hills erupt from the ground to impede the progress of the creature. Emrys had another insight, if Focus has the power to control ooze, and he just raised the ground, then... oh @#$%
Ariach AC 26/14/19 ; HP 51/59 Thursday June 6th, 2013 1:58:30 AM
Ariach feels shame when he sees how he forces his friend Grell to come back and help him- him the warrior- instead of helping the children. He really tries to push himself running as fast as possible but running with such a bulky armor isnīt that easy.
Wilma; AC17 (+1 Mithril chain shirt); HP 35/35; Fly Thursday June 6th, 2013 6:32:10 AM
"May Gargul judge you true, Mistress Goode," Wilma said a bit sadly as she withdrew from the room, "The children are leaving now and I must make sure that they live, even if you are determined to die. Farewell!" She absolutely hated abandoning the baker to her fate, but if there was one thing the priests of Gargul were taught, it was that every sentient being was responsible for their own choices and would be judged by Gargul for them. It wasn't for her to change Mistress Goode's mind if the woman refused to listen to her. The children were choosing to leave and Wilma--along with the rest of the Vanguard--had promised to help them return home, and so that was what the young cleric had to do.
"Here, now, let me help..." Wilma said as she hurried along behind the girls and, taking up a place beside Naomi, she hooked her own arm around the disabled girl's shoulders and provided the balance and support Naomi needed to move as quickly and effectively as she could towards the portal...
OOC: I don't know if it has been stated which of Naomi's arms got chomped off, but whichever arm is missing, that is the side that Wilma has placed herself. If she needs to swap her staff from her right hand to her left to do so, she will. Wilma will now help hurry Naomi along towards the portal.
"Natasha, don't let us hold you back--run for the portal as fast as you can!" the redheaded priestess urged the other girl.
Vaniime AC 18/14/15, HP:40/45, Dodge Thursday June 6th, 2013 7:43:43 AM
Van looks determinedly at the area of ground between the ooze and the trailers to see it there is any plant life of any type or abundance in the area. (how far away is the ooze?)
Emrys I am not sure what is wrong wih the way humans think. At times I think I have them figured out and then... she waves her hands out in front of her to encompass Ms. Goode and Ariach and the children.
"Umm Emrys you do realize the the groung below us has just moved?
DM Ezra: Clarification, the raised ground is only under Emrys, and it happened when he opened the portal.
Emrys ac10, hp20/20. light, prestidigitation Thursday June 6th, 2013 1:47:00 PM
(ooc: Is this raised ground under Emrys a single column, like a raised platform, or is it a sloped ramp that someone can walk up? Also, is this portal elevated above the ground as well?)
Tuck HP 29/42 AC 18/18/14 d20+9=29 ; d20+11=30 ; Thursday June 6th, 2013 5:35:33 PM
"Gurtrude! Gather up your friend and let's get you home."
Tuck points in the direction of the portal. "We have to go now because there is danger coming."
If Gurtrude does not start moving towards the portal, Tuck will pick her up and start running towards the portal. (Grapple check 29, natural 20)
He hopes that everyone else has been notified and encouraged towards the portal. (Perception 30 to see if there are any other stragglers.)
Grell, AC20/13/18, HP63/68 Thursday June 6th, 2013 9:24:01 PM
Grell waits for Ariach to catch up and then grabs his pack from him, hoping to lighten the load and help Ariach get to the portal faster. He jokes with Ariach as he jogs along "Geeez Ariach, my lame orc grandma runs faster than you. C'mon, get the lead out!"
Any portal in a storm - Ezra Friday June 7th, 2013 1:55:03 AM Fuddley - duddley, keep your knickers on! Ms. Goode sighs and pulls the slab out that the bread is cooking on and pokes it, not my best, but looks ok. Wrapping the loaf in her apron, she hurries after the two girls, which isn't exactly speedy for someone of her age.
Ariach and Grell see several walls of ground blow up between them and the creature. They might have a chance after all.
With Vaniime pointing the ground out to him, Emrys looks down and finds that he is standing on a small platform with sloped sides all around him, the top is only a little larger than his feet. The mound is about six inches higher than the rest of the ground. The portal is 30' up.
Ariach AC 26/14/19 ; HP 51/59 Friday June 7th, 2013 3:20:24 PM
Ariach gives Grell a big smile. "In school they didnīt prepare us to flee from enemies. Hold your ground and fight was the given order. A heavy armor is very useful when you are fighting. Unfortunately the plate male isnīt that useful while running. But stop joking. Please run as fast as you can to reach the portal- Grell. I promise you i will not stop running until i reach it myself!"
Tuck HP 29/42 AC 18/18/14 Friday June 7th, 2013 5:21:35 PM
Tuck either picks up Gertrude and runs with her or runs alongside of her towards the portal.
Emrys keeps his eyes and pointed ears peeled for any of his friends, Mrs. Goode and the children to arrive (Perception 24). Once he spots the first few children, Emrys does his best to encourage them (Diplomacy: 26). "Excellent, come at once. Hurry now, you're almost home. This way!"
To expedite the rise of the ramp to the portal, Emrys spurs it along with a little help from the scepter.
Vaniime AC 18/14/15, HP:40/45, Dodge Saturday June 8th, 2013 9:31:53 AM
At least happier now that Grell has gotten Ariach moving again, Van turns to the next problem. So Emrys how do we get up there, pointing at the portal.
Wilma; AC17 (+1 Mithril chain shirt); HP 35/35; Fly Saturday June 8th, 2013 4:18:05 PM
Wilma idly wondered if Mistress Goode was a prime example of what having a lovable-yet-trying grandmother was like, but she was just glad that the baker had finally listened to her warning about the giant angry ooze that was on its way to no doubt get all of them before they could get to the exit portal.
Now...if only they could all make it there in time...
Grell, AC20/13/18, HP63/68 Sunday June 9th, 2013 5:20:34 AM
Knowing that Ariach is nothing if not a man of his word, Grell grabs his pack and starts running toward the portal, all the while encouraging Ariach. "Come on brother armor or no, we're going to have to work on your speed! He laughs to let his brother in arms know he's not serious.
Emrys ac10, hp20/20. light, prestidigitation Sunday June 9th, 2013 10:56:37 PM
"Come along now, hurry, hurry!"
Ariach AC 26/14/19 ; HP 51/59 Monday June 10th, 2013 2:18:20 AM
Praying to Domi Ariach runs as fast as he can.
Vaniime AC 18/14/15, HP:40/45, Dodge d20+11=13 ; Monday June 10th, 2013 4:53:04 PM
Van begins looking more closely at the raised are and the portal to try and figure out how they are going to get up to the portal..... Perception 13
Emrys ac10, hp20/20. light, prestidigitation Monday June 10th, 2013 6:45:34 PM
Emrys hopes he hadn't missed this years apple and plum harvest season when they get back. He has a lot of preserves, jellies and wines to make. Then the idea of making jelly, after their short stay in this miserable realm, felt rather repugnant. Maybe I should concentrate on just the wine instead, he thinks.
Tuck HP 29/42 AC 18/18/14 Monday June 10th, 2013 8:05:06 PM
Tuck keeps running.
Grell, AC20/13/18, HP63/68 Monday June 10th, 2013 9:11:07 PM
Sprinting and running...it feels as if he's been doing it for an eternity! Grell's legs pump as he reminisces on what seems like an eternity ago at Maplehurst when he had competed in the elementary marathon. He dearly remembers competing in his armor...placing third place...and vomiting up his entire breakfast at the finish line. Yes, those were the days! With a gusty sigh, Grell continues to dash toward the portal, more than ready to leave this gods forsaken plane.
Wilma; AC17 (+1 Mithril chain shirt); HP 35/35; Fly Monday June 10th, 2013 9:41:31 PM
Wilma continues to support Naomi and help her hurry towards the portal even as she glances occasionally over her shoulder to encourage both Natasha and Mistress Goode to come, come along as quickly as they can.
LOG ON