Temple of the Maelstrom IC

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:04 pm

{Tome Game, OOC thread with intro here: http://tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?t=52166 }

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-----Temple of the Maelstrom-----------------
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The voyage to the Temple has been fairly peaceful up to this point. However, your ship has noted other vessels flying Jomonese flags heading in the same direction on previous days. You may not be the first people to arrive at the Temple. You are now about half a day away from the island near the Temple.

There are some large clouds approaching. They are dense, dark, and unusually low in the sky. [Perception check DC 17 or a spyglass shows humanoids standing on top of two clouds] This storm system is presently between you and your destination, but you might able to sail around it at the cost of some additional travel time.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:18 pm

What would you say is the distance to the clouds?

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 9:23 pm

The clouds are approximately 4000 feet away. They are not moving very quickly, but the ship goes approximately 60 feet a round at its present speed.

ubernoob · Post by **ubernoob** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:18 am

Andrew Jackson has +18 to spot. I'll assume he spots them.

"We have company. Who wants to fly up and introduce ourselves to some new friends?"

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:08 am

Only +18? Fucking newb!

I'd rather have them come down. Someone give me a heads up when they are within 200ft.

Malak heads downstairs, inside the ship.

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:20 am

"I'll take a reconnoiter with you there, Jackson." Fast Eddie pushes his hat down tighter on his head, and spins his mystic ring, changing his appearance to that of a pudgy, non-threatening type, and ready to scan thoughts of the interlopers with his keen mind once they are within range.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:47 am

Above and below deck, the ship's crew is uneasy. The increasing ferocity of the Sea of Tempests is making most of them question their choice of career. However, their compensation for this trip included sizable amounts of hazard pay, and they seem willing to face reasonable amounts of danger in order to come home and collect it.

The ship and clouds draw nearer together. The distance is about 2000 feet now, and humanoids are clearly visible standing atop them. There is no wind propelling the clouds, they are clearly moving on their own. [Spyglass or Perception DC 16 shows that most of the humanoids have large wings, and the remainder carry staves or spears that glow with magical power. About 2 dozen people in total.]

The ship is now too close to escape the clouds easily. 7 smaller man-sized pieces break off from the main cloud mass and fly forward towards the ship much more quickly, coming within 1000 feet of the ship in half a minute. [Spyglass + DC 20 Knowledge or Perception shows them to be 6 Medium Air Elementals, led by something that looks similar, but moves differently. DC 26 reveals more information.]

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 8:23 am

Fast Eddie snags a spyglass from the Captain. "Let's see what we're getting into..."

1d20+7 (Arcana or Planes, same mod) gets me a 24.

"Spirits of the air! Our friends from the sky! Jackson and I shall give them your regards, Captain." Fast Eddie cracks his knuckles before levitating away...

ubernoob · Post by **ubernoob** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:04 pm

Andrew Jackson mutters a prayer and prepares to intercept the foes.

Casting divine favor

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:50 pm

JigokuBosatsu wrote:Fast Eddie snags a spyglass from the Captain. "Let's see what we're getting into..."

1d20+7 (Arcana or Planes, same mod) gets me a 24.

"Spirits of the air! Our friends from the sky! Jackson and I shall give them your regards, Captain." Fast Eddie cracks his knuckles before levitating away...

The seventh elemental has a more distinctly humanoid form. Part of the top of its head is formed into a crown, and its eyes glow with power. Fast Eddie has read about elementals who have gained power in a way that enhances their mystical abilities rather than their size and power. Many of them are hated by more conventional elementals, since they often bind conventional elementals to their service. This entity is likely capable of using magic, and it may be able to summon more elementals.

{What range and sorts of information would your mind reading give you?}

ubernoob wrote:Andrew Jackson mutters a prayer and prepares to intercept the foes.

Casting divine favor

The crowned elemental shouts something to its companions, and they split into 2 groups of 3, approaching the ship from either side, each now about 300 feet away. Then it casts a javelin at the ship, a scroll case bound to the side.

Andrew Jackson could easily intercept any one of the 3 groups, or do something about the javelin. The ship has a group of archers who stand ready for orders as well.

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:25 pm

{For some reason I was thinking Mind flayer telepathy is 'Detect thoughts', but I appear to have been wrong. It's just... telepathy, 100ft. I don't think you can do anything cool game mechanic-wise with it. However, now that I look, MFers do you have Detect thoughts, 60 ft. That takes 3 rounds to get anything useful, tho, so I am levitating into mind blast range of the crowned dude.}

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:40 pm

One of the random crew of followers will, per my instructions, alert me to the proximity of the Elemental team.

I will participate in the next round by coming outside and engaging.

ubernoob · Post by **ubernoob** » Tue Apr 19, 2011 3:46 pm

If by do something about the javelin, you mean dispel the scroll or something, Andrew Jackson is going to do that. Otherwise, just intercept one of the groups.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:40 am

Fast Eddie soon places himself in range to blast the crowned elemental. It has not launched any direct attack yet, but he can feel a surprisingly intense psychic aura of malice from it, probably enough to unnerve weaker mortals and animals that draw too close. Magic crackles about it, and it will likely try something soon.

Andrew Jackson moves to place himself between the ship and one trio of elementals moments before they dart forward, the rearmost beginning to shift its shape. His superior reach will make it easy to strike them before they can launch their own attack.

Malak comes onto deck in time to react to the last group of elementals, now charging the vessel, one beginning to expand into a whirlwind, but not quite there yet.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 1:13 am

Malak casts enervation on a close elemental, and then quicken dispels the crowned elemental.

14 against touch AC, for four negative levels

You can roll the dispel checks, because I'm not sure how many spell he has active. Roll 1d20+10 against every spell against 11+CL of any spells on him.

Yay me.

PS everyone is under the effects of haste. And by everyone, I mean me, both other PCs, Ubers pet, and six random allies on the boat.

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:11 am

Once Fast Eddie floats buoyantly into parley range {35ish feet}, he greets the crowned elemental with a grin, and broadcasts a very pleasing suggestion: "Friends of the sky, why not surrender now and head back to your charming home plane, with all courtesy!"
{If the fucker ignores it, I'm going to drop like a rock and regroup.}

ubernoob · Post by **ubernoob** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:21 am

Andrew Jackson whips his weapon around striking at all three of the foes in range, then mutters a quick prayer.

Attack bonuses are +19,19,17. He's not power attacking yet. I'm away from my dice and in a hurry since I head to my birthday celebration in less than an hour. Damage is 1d8+15. If any can reach him, they get an AoO against the AC on his sheet +1 dodge. Each hit has a DC 22 will save vs 5 round slow. The spell cast is Shield of Warding. It's some bullshit sacred bonus to AC out of spell compendium. I think the bonus is +3 sacred to AC.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:34 am

Malak's bolt of negative energy disintegrates one of his three elementals, and the hail of arrows from the magically quickened ship's archers tears the remaining two nearly to pieces. One disperses, but the remaining one reforms and finishes exploding into its full tornado form. However, this takes enough time to give Malak an opening. The magical aura around the crowned elemental is noticeably weakened, and its eyes stop glowing.

Fast Eddie's suggestion finds a very receptive target. The elemental inclines its head slightly, then bolts upwards. He is reasonably certain that it won't trouble them again of its own initiative.

Andrew Jackson's chains tear through the elementals easily. The transforming one is dispersed, and the remainder are barely cohesive. They pound on his armor ineffectually.

The remaining elementals bolt away from the ship in all directions, and the clouds in the distance begin to rumble. Wisps of vapor begin to peel off them. It looks as though the storm was at somewhat dependent on the crowned elemental's support. The clouds are still moving, and a group of winged humanoids leaps from each to charge ahead and at the ships.

Meanwhile, the javelin the crowned elemental tossed lies embedded in the deck and the crew of the ship wonders what they should do.

[10 rounds until the next wave]

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:43 pm

{I'll float back and take a look at the scroll... if it's not something I can deal with and we're in a pickle, I can always plane shift it out, I guess.}

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:10 pm

Inside the case is a scroll, upon which several paragraphs of barely coherent ranting have been written. Skimming, the gist of it seems to be a demand that the ship give up 1 in 10 of its people as blood sacrifices to Charybdis, the Maelstrom, or face destruction.

The base of the scroll is unsigned, but there is a stamped symbol that radiates magic, which nobody present is likely foolish enough to examine closely with taking some precautions.

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:22 pm

"I wonder who wrote this little love note. I'd like to get my tenta- hands, I mean, on him. I'd let some aquatic whore decimate the crew if it meant I could eat the elf bastard's brains and spit 'em right back out." He looks around sheepishly. "Just joking, lads. Well, not really. Back to work!" He mutters an arcane slithering noise as he identifies the seal on the scroll.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 5:41 pm

Malak fires an enervation at the remaining elemental, 10 against touch AC, so probably a miss for 3 negative levels.

Then he Seething Eyebanes the Crowned elemental, Fort save or blind DC 25.

Avoraciopoctules · Post by **Avoraciopoctules** » Wed Apr 20, 2011 7:30 pm

Fast Eddie thinks that the stamped symbol is designed to hit the reader with a Suggestion to go along with the rest of the demands of the message. However, the job was somewhat sloppily done, and the magic has difficulty affecting him. The spell does seem a little complex for just a Suggestion, but this isn't really a point where he has a lot of study time to work with.

Malak's magic further demoralizes the fleeing elementals.

The winged humanoids draw closer. There are 8 Caelian birdmen with ice-tipped lances and small shields, but the pair of somewhat larger green-skinned demons looks more threatening. Each of the green demons pauses about 400 feet away and casts a bolt of acid forward. These shoot forward past the Caelian lancers and into a crowd of ship's crew. One is struck in the head and dies almost instantly, and the other leaps overboard, presumably to douse the acid. {The Caelian lancers will arrive at the ship in 1 round, the demons in 5, assuming nothing happens to change this. Caelians look like Warrior 2 or 3s}

JigokuBosatsu · Post by **JigokuBosatsu** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:37 pm

{Is it still magical after I looked at it? For the moment I am going to mind blast any birdmen in range.}

ubernoob · Post by **ubernoob** » Thu Apr 21, 2011 10:39 pm

Andrew Jackson will delay until the demons are in charging range.