CH. 9: Road to Tu'Valie

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn shouts out to Baeros and Ouragana, but remains where she is and does nothing, her own serious injuries still hindering her. Takit, having received no orders yet, remains sitting still, alert and ready.

"Andar, protect me!" Areilon calls as she aims her crossbow. Drawing his cutlass, Andar moves over to guard Areilon should the creature try to harm her.

Hurrying over to a nearby tree, Ouragana takes cover behind it and then starts preparing her Web spell.

Baeros chucks his short sword at the ettercap, but swords are not meant for throwing; it's a clumsy throw, missing the creature entirely. He then attempts to move in to grab the dog, but finds there's no time. The distraction failed, and the creature will rend him to shreds if he gets close. Instead, he starts to back away toward the party.

While withdrawing, he thinks to himself of what he knows about ettercaps. They have no particular weaknesses or vulnerabilities that he knows of. The best cure for their poison is created from their own venom and the venom usually reaches the heart somewhere between 10 and 40 minutes, typically. That some priests can heal wounds, cure sickness and poison and even raise the dead is fairly common knowledge, even if the specifics are a bit more obscure.

As soon as the ranger is clear, Ouragana casts her spell, conjuring up a mass of webbing to hold the ettercap. However, it is of no avail. Ettercaps seem to have some kind of kinship with spiders. The ugly creature easily crawls through the webbing like it was second nature.

Unhindered by the webbing, the ettercap follows after Baeros. Once he catches up with the ranger, he slashes with both of his claws. Baeros sidesteps the first slash, but the second slash rakes right across his chest, damaging his armor and drawing blood from the nasty gashes left behind. While Baeros is staggered, the ettercap then grabs him and bites deeply into his neck with its glistening fangs. The ranger is left severely weakened, bleeding profusely, but still conscious for the moment. It's clear he won't last much longer.

Takit barks furiously at this assault on his master and prepares to charge.

Areilon fires her crossbow, but the bolt bounces off the creature's thick hide. Val steps to the left a bit, as Jocelyn is in her way, then fires twice. The first arrow finds its mark in the ettercap's chest, seriously wounding it. The second arrow, however, simply ricochets off the creature's tough hide.

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Initiative
Ouragana (1d10+2): 6
Jocelyn (N/A)
Val (1d10+8): 15
Baeros (1d10+3): 7
Areilon (1d10+7): 12
Andar (1d10+5): 6
Takit (N/A)
Ettercap (1d10+3): 10

Round 1!

Jocelyn does nothing.
Takit awaits orders.
Andar steps five feet to the east to guard Areilon.
Ouragana moves 35 feet north and takes cover behind her tree and prepares the Web spell.
Baeros throws his short sword at the ettercap with great strength (+1) (1d20): 3, miss. He then withdraws 40 feet south.
----Ouragana casts Web on the ettercap. It is immune.
Ettercap moves 50 feet south and slashes Baeros in his studded leather (-2) with his right claw (1d20-2): 4, miss. He then slashes Baeros in his studded leather (-2) with his left claw (1d20-2): 18, critical hit! for (2d3): 6 damage. Finally, the ettercap bites at Baeros in his studded leather (-1) (1d20-1): 19, critical hit! for (2d8): 11 damage. Baeros is now near death.
Areilon fires her crossbow with elven grace (+1) at the ettercap (1d20+1): 11, miss.
Val takes a five foot step to the west and then fires a sheaf arrow from her long bow at the ettercap (1d20): 17, hit for (1d8): 8 damage. The ettercap is now seriously wounded.
Val fires a second sheaf arrow from her long bow at the ettercap (1d20): 9, miss.

(OOC: Wow, two critical hits in a row have knocked Baeros down to 2 HP and might be poisoned. The dice seem to have it out for him.

By the way, throwing the sword and picking up the dog would both count as standard actions, and Baeros can only do one of those per round. So he had to leave the dog behind.

I'm doing something new with the maps. When a character moves, they leave a trail behind them, a line, so you can see the exact path they took.

Actions and Initiative for Round 2?)

[Breila]

Helpless (she knows the Sleep spell is unlikely to affect the ettercap) Ouranana moves behind the tree (away from the monster) and thinks about retreating in a wide arc to the path.

[BishGada]

As Baeros feels his life leak away from his body tries desperately to avoid any more hits from the ettercap. Seeing Areilon and Andar close to him he tries to get near them before retaliating, hoping that the ettercap attacks won't concentrate only on him and together they will manage to slay it. "Andar, draw the monster attention. I'm severely wounded."

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(OOC: Wow! two critical hits by this ugly monster. I guess the ADnD gods don't like spontaneous characters. Now I'm going to roll for save from poision... 1d20 = (14) That was a close one, but succeed. For the time being.)

[Nuke]

Val fires two more arrows.

init, hit and damage x2 (1d10,1d20,1d8,1d20,1d8=[10], [14], [6], [16], [6])

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn begins to pray, asking Octhanus to Bless the party from the ettercap, as it seems that so far they aren't doing so good.

Initi Roll (4)

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn begins chanting a prayer to Octhanus; but it's one of the longest ones she knows, so it will take time for her to finish.

Baeros calls for help from Andar, slowly moving backward, his long sword raised to fend off any further attacks. He realizes he has likely been poisoned and could drop dead any time now.

Andar and Takit both move forward at once. Andar slashes his cutlass across the ettercap's left flank, drawing blood. Takit runs forward and furiously leaps at the ettercap, sinking his teeth into the creature's long arm, and tears off a hunk of flesh.

The ettercap throws up his arms and gives an ear-piercing shriek, outraged by the pain that has been inflicted upon him. He rakes his claws at Takit, slashing the dog's flank and leaving behind bloody claw marks on the dog. Takit whimpers in pain. The ettercap then turns to Andar and bites at him. The mariner holds up his sword arm to protect himself, but as he has no armor, this does little good. The ettercap bites deeply into his arm, sinking his poisonous fangs into Andar's flesh.

Ouragana, meanwhile, circles the tree she is standing near, placing it between her and the fight.

Areilon draws her sabre and moves in to assist, stabbing the monster in the neck with her sabre, Telsa. The creature shrieks and flails about, but she holds the blade in with both hands until the ettercap drops and moves no further. Only then does she finally pull out the sword.

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Initiative
Ouragana (1d10): 9
Baeros (1d10+3): 5
Val (1d10+8): 18
Jocelyn (Last)
Areilon (1d10+4): 10
Andar (1d10+5): 6
Takit (1d10+3): 6
Ettercap (1d10+3): 8

Round 2!

Jocelyn begins casting Bless. She will finish at the end of the round.
Baeros moves 15 feet south and goes into full defense. His AC improves by 2 points.
Andar moves 15 feet northwest and attacks the ettercap with his cutlass with great strength (+1) and skill (+1) (1d20+2): 14, bare hit for (1d6+3): 6 damage. The ettercap is now critically wounded.
Takit moves 35 feet north and bites at the ettercap (1d20): 17, hit for (2d4): 3 damage.
Ettercap slashes at Takit with his right claw (1d20): 7, miss. He then slashes at Takit with his left claw (1d20): 12, hit for (1d3): 3 damage. Takit is now moderately wounded. Finally, the ettercap bites at Andar (1d20): 7, hit for (2d8): 4 damage. Andar is now seriously wounded.
Ouragana moves 20 feet around the tree, so she is now on the other side.
Areilon moves 15 feet northwest and attacks the ettercap with her sabre with elven grace (+1) and excellent skill (+2) (1d20+3): 23, critical hit! for (2d6+1): 11 damage. Ettercap dies.

(OOC: I like how, in his time of greatest need, Baeros calls for help from the level 1 guy with no armor.

By the way, for future reference, you aren't supposed to roll to save vs. poison until the onset time, which we have established is in 10-40 minutes, runs out. That way you don't magically know if you are safe or not before the poison actually starts working.

End melee.)

[HorizonsDream]

Without missing a beat, Jocelyn runs over to Baeros, and begins praying over him. Once done with him, she walks over to Andar and does the same. Finally, she walks over to the wounded dog. "Easy boy," she says gently as she places her hand upon him and starts praying.


Cure Mod Wounds (8)
Cure Mod Wounds (9)
Cure Light Wounds (7)

[BishGada]

"Adnar! Thanks you." Baeros says full of gratitude, then noticing the bite marks he says, "You have been biten! The ettercaps are poisonous you should try to calm yourself down so your heart won't race too fast." Baeros goes back to the wounded dog, grabs her and his sword back and returns to the group with Jocelyn. "Andar, you should sit. Here, hold the dog and stroke her gently, calm her down too. It is possible to create a cure for the poison from the ettercap's own venom. We should do it quickly, unless Jocelyn can pray to Octhanus for curig the poison." He looks at her in question, then moves to the ettercap body trying to see if he can collect some of it's venom to create the cure.

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(OOC: Does Baeros knows how to create the cure and how long does it take?)

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn casts a healing spell on Baeros, completely healing the claw wounds, but only partially healing the bite wound on his neck. She then moves on to Andar, and then Takit, completely healing both of any physical wounds.

"You have been bitten! The ettercaps are poisonous you should try to calm yourself down so your heart won't race too fast."

Andar looks at his arm, now fully healed, anxiously. "Poisonous? How poisonous? And you were bitten, too," he points out.

Baeros moves to aid the wounded dog, but finds he cannot. Ouragana's magical web stands between them, completely encompassing the dog. Thus instead, he moves to the dead ettercap to extract any venom from its fangs. Cutting open the creature, he manages to find the poison gland. However, inside it only contains a single ounce of venom--just enough for a single dose of antidote.

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Jocelyn casts Cure Moderate Wounds on Baeros, restoring (1d10+1): 8 HP. He is now only seriously wounded.
Jocelyn casts Cure Moderate Wounds on Andar, restoring (1d10+1): 9 HP. He is fully healed.
Jocelyn casts Cure Light Wound on Takit, restoring (1d8): 7 HP. He is fully healed.

(OOC: Only someone with the Healing proficiency can make an antidote, so Baeros cannot. Jocelyn has that proficiency, however.

So there are a couple of options. She can make a healing check, and if she passes, she can concoct an antidote from the venom--only enough for a single dose, though. Whoever takes the antidote will be completely cleansed of any poison in their system, though.

Failing that, if Jocelyn spends five consecutive rounds treating a patient (and the patient does nothing during those five rounds but sit there), they will get a +2 to their poison save when the onset time runs out.)

[Breila]

Ouragana rushes over to Jocelyn and the wounded. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asks.

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn shakes her head at Oura. "There really is nothing you can do," she says as she turns to Bearos and Andar. "I can slow the poison magically, but I don't have the ability to cure it magically. That would have to wait until we get to Tu'Valie, and we find a much more powerful priest," she explains. "But I can make an antidote, maybe," she adds. "If it works, it will only be enough for one person."

[BishGada]

Baeros answers Andar, "I'm aware of being bitten! I almost died with only two strikes of the beast!" his tone full of frustration and anger. "The poison is fatal within less than a bell. We don't have time to get to Tu'Valie. Jocelyn, how effective is this poison slowing of yours? And could it affect all of us, that means the dog, Andar and me?" he asks somewhat confused, then he adds, "Treat Andar's poisoning first, I'll go and cut the web to realease the dog. When I'm back we will see if there is a way to help all of us." and he goes back again towards the dog, slashing at the web on his way.

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(OOC: Well, Baeros would give the antidote to Andar. He is that unselfish and stupid. If it is possible to slow the poison ever again until arriving Tu'Vile both on him and the dog, that's what he will choose, if it is possible only for one, the other should get the treatment to raise is chance to endure the poison. In any case Baeros is not stupid enough to prefer the dog's life over his own. If there is not a sure way to save the dog he will wait to see if it endures the poison and if not he will kill it to end her suffer.

BTW, JadedDM, I liked the observation He is now only seriously wounded. )

[Breila]

"I can dispel the web, you don't need to exert yourself, Bearos" Ouragana says after following the man, and she does so with a wave of her hand. "I'm sorry this was of no use this time."

[JadedDM]

Concentrating, Ouragana dispels the webbing. Andar moves over to pick up the dog and bring it back to the others. He sets her down, but she doesn't move at all. The puppy approaches and starts nudging her head with his snout, whimpering, but she doesn't give any reaction. "I think it's too late," Andar says.

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(OOC: I use different terms for how badly wounded a character is. Lightly wounded means they have about 90% of their HP, moderately wounded means they have about 75% of their HP, seriously wounded means about 50% HP, critically wounded means about 25% HP and finally there's 'near death' which means they have 10% HP or fewer. Baeros was 'near death' until Jocelyn healed him, so now he's only 'seriously wounded.')

[HorizonsDream]

"It will only last for four hours," Jocelyn explains as she walks over to the ettercap to start producing the antidote. "And I can only use it on one person," she explains.

Healing Check (18, fail)