The inscrutable cleric didn't let on that he noticed the wizard's weasel secretly murder the helpless captives in cold blood. (Made a saving throw, according to Grognardsw)
This troubled Azoth's mind, not because the dark priest was philosophically opposed to execution, but because Siavel was. Azoth Al-Aziz knew his elven friend to be a self-professed enlightened, good individual who viewed execution as an evil act unless done to an extremely dangerous and evil being.
Slavery also troubled Azoth's mind. Not because he was opposed to it. But because many in the party violently opposed slavery. Yet, Calto had just taken a slave without any protestations.
Azoth hoped this was merely the common inconsistencies he found all too often among the less disciplined. (ie: those not Lawful! Ha! )
For the alternative was a dire prospect indeed. What if the Hidden Shrine, or this otherworldly, dream-like jungle beyond the yellow mists, had the powers to affect men's minds? Azoth carefully, silently watched his friends for more telling, aberrant behavior as they advanced through the mysterious, primeval forest.
Calto smiles at his newfound simian companion, tosses him a few rations and beckons him to follow the party from the tree tops as he and Jaguar resume their march towards the enigmatic shrine.
If there are any interesting herbs on the way, he will snip a few and throw them in a pouch.
The dark acolyte turned to Calto. "Moonslayer my friend, please speak with the furry kobold you've just enlisted. Perhaps he's been to the hidden shrine. Perhaps he's rushed in where savages fear to tread.
"...Like we are about to," Azoth added with a sardonic smile.
The adventurers press ahead, one native and Bruno leading the way with a native and Leomar at the rear wary of pursuit. Calto the druid is accompanied by his new-found furry friend. The drum beats continue.
The rain beats down. Mosquitos bite.
It is unpleasant. Two hours hard marching, cutting through undergrowth at points, brings the party closer to the outer ruins of Tamoachan.
At least it stops raining.
Then the native pauses, motioning for the others to stop and be quiet. Though the adventurers can no longer communicate with the natives, they know something is up. Suddenly the native gasps, grabs his throat, and collapses to the ground! Bursting from the undergrowth...
All around you...
Some bear nets. Others bring bamboo tubes to their mouths.
Actions!
- Sorry Calto, have to go with what spells are selected for a given day.
- There is a 5% chance per PC of contracting something from a mosquito bite. Everyone please roll 1d100.
Alex took up the 'drag' position at the tail of the party, keeping an alert eye and ear out, frequently looking behind, above, down low and up high; with his broadsword in one hand and his favorite enchanted dagger in the other. He had become used to the magic employed by his fellow party members, but he was still conscious of the fact that it didn't always work the way it was explained to him, so he kept a wary eye on both the magically compelled human and the magically compelled....colorful-snout-beast...as well.
Calto pushes his new furry friend behind him and instructs Jaguar to guard his front. The druid suddenly feels far less remorse for enslaving the savage as he prepares to defend himself from these cowardly adversaries.
Calto casts summon insects and directs his spell towards as many attackers carrying nets as he can.
Let’s hope this savage jungle has a few distinct insects, eh?
Siavel spies Azoth's grimace and sighs. He prepares to once again try to counsel his friend on shades of moral grey, often a hopeless exercise when speaking to impatient and short-lived humans - even a relatively wise and educated one such as Azoth. For better of worse, circumstances win the debate for the mage as a large group of extremely dangerous and evil barbarians again emerge from the bush!
The mage does not like the look of the blowgun tubes - or of one native gasping for air on the ground (perhaps poisoned)!!! He begins a conjuration that will protect them from the poisonous darts and perhaps even the nets, so that the fighters can take out the remainder of the savages. The mage does his best to slide behind his fellows or, better yet, cover of some kind, so as to ensure that he can get his spell away without being injured. Siavel waves his hands and begins a loud and audible exhale...
He also commands his weasel to attack the closest savage to the mage.
Cast Wind Wall. Casting time 3 seg. Assuming that Calto's spell can engulf a savage closer to the party than the wind wall.
Azoth once more uttered the blasphemous language of his dread lord to imbue himself with unearthly sorcerous power that violated the sovereignty of Time Itself. "'Ai! 'Ai! Ftaghn! Tharanak! Ftaghu!"
Casts Hold Person on three savages. Preference is given to those near Azoth, with blow guns. Thanks.
Leomar drops instinctively drops into a fighting stance, short sword at the ready. "To the steps! Maybe these savages will be to superstitious to follow!"
He will make his way to the steps, eithering striking at the any nativse getting within range or dodging any thrown nets.
Not this time Bruno the mad thinks to himself. I was waiting for this to happen. Bruno immediately attacks the closet savage in the open, not afraid of the repercussions now that he knows how weak they are.
Alex will look all around to ensure that no one is using the melee at the front of the party as a perfect opportunity to flank them; and if he sees no one approaching from the rear or flanks; he will make his way to the front of the party to see if any help is needed to defeat their new foes....
OOC: If he DOES see any tribal warriors attempting to attack them from the rear/flanks, he'll hurl magic dagger at them and then rush forward with his Broadsword.....other wise, he just moves to get into a decent enough position to melee the foes in the front
The adventurers draw steel and spell against the attacking savages, who rush in from all directions.
It's hard to tell numbers; they must have snuck ahead and around the party during their trek.
Leomar the thief draws his unicorn-whale-horn magick sword and makes for the ruins of nearby stairs (see picture), encouraging others to do the same. A savage with rock-studded club lunges toward him but Leomar parries and ripostes, gashing the savage in the shoulder! The jungle barbarian grunts and swings his club, weakly connecting with Leomar (2 HP damage.)
Grindhelm the dwarf girds himself for the oncoming attack, swinging his axe Screaming Death in a low arc that slices the legs on an attacking savage! Bruno the gnome slashes with his magick short sword Wyrmebane, opening up the chest of a savage.
Siavel the sorcerer intones gusty words of enchantment while waving a small fan and green peacock feather. Suddenly a wall of wind erupts, running along in front of Siavel, Azoth, Alex, Calto and the friendly native. The powerful air currents disrupt two flying nets as well as one blow gun darts.
Azoth cleric of Nodens again channels divine magicks and paralyzes two of his three target savages, taking out those with blow dart tubes.
Calto's charmed savage waves his arms and yells something. Defending his friend somehow? the druid wonders. He is waving off the savages and instead pointing to the other adventurers. Meanwhile, Calto draws forth his sacred mistletoe, a flower and a bit of mud. He begins a chant, punctuated by verbal clicks, chews the flower, rubs the mud in his hands as his magicks summon forth a swarm of insects (to appear beginning of next round due to casting time.)
Two savages jump out from the jungle behind Siavel and his wind wall. The elf's pet giant weasel hisses, lunges forward and clamps onto a savage's leg (9 HP.) The savage yells and slams his obsidian edged sword on the weasel (8 HP.) Alex "Blade Rain" Vam quickly hurls his magic dagger at the second oncoming savage. It pierces and sticks in his shoulder (9 HP.) The savage staggers a bit, continues his rush, swings a club, but Blade Rain dodges.
Alex 'Blade Rain' Vam, human male Fighter
Alex will let out a curse followed by a sigh and a "It's gonna be a LOOOOONNNG Day"; all while swinging his Broadsword at the native with his Enchanted Dagger stuck in him; and if possible he will attempt to reach out and retrieve his beloved, magicked dagger....
Azoth cried out with an angry snarl: “Leomar is right! This fight wins us nothing!”
The dark cleric wished to join a tactical retreat, leaving none of the party behind. To cover their escape, he spoke sacrilegious syllables to implore his merciless master to empower him with sorcery dark and unearthly: "‘Ai! ‘Ai! Tharanak! Gotha N’ghft!"
Azoth will summon Darkness (the reverse of Light) to conjure a writhing, 40’ diameter, ethereal black void of undulating shadow tentacles to cover their escape. He will place it upon a tree trunk selected to engulf as many of the savages as possible, and none of the party.
Then Azoth held out his hands and urgently shouted toward the cannibals: "Camazotz! Camazotz! Camazotz!" to try to convince the superstitious primitives that the sudden, inexplicable darkness was a manifestation of, or attack from, the bat god whose shrine terrified them.
Those cannibals not plunged into darkness might be distracted or frightened by the spectacle of "Camazotz's" abyss hemisphere.
...I hope.
Cast Darkness. If the savages are distracted or frightened by "Camazotz's" attack, then next round maybe we can flee for the "sanctuary" of the accursed shrine. Thanks.
Last edited by Inferno on Thu Apr 09, 2015 8:36 pm, edited 2 times in total.
The DM wrote:...brings the party closer to the outer ruins of Tamoachan.
The ruin near you is not the Shrine of Tamoahan, but rather one of many crumbling overgrown ruins surrounding the main shrine. The main shrine is probably another 15 minute trek deeper in.
Where the stairs go is up a mostly ruined tree-covered 30' ziggurat.
Siavel is pleased to see that his wind wall was effective in catching the nets and blowgun darts, though he is surprised that the latter even have a chance to make it through the wall.
The mage, having used up his offensive spells, resorts to his bow. He fires an arrow at the closest savage not engaged in melee (and, of course, not subject to the wind wall). Assuming he finds a target, he scores a pretty nice shot into the body of a savage.
Blue, having bit into a savage, begins to drain the blood of its victim. If the savage survives the bite and blood drain, the party is sure in trouble, as these savages are quite tough.
)
