[Adventure] A Call for Lovers (DM: jbear Judge:Lord Sessadore)

[CrimsonFlameWielder]

With the mud hardening around his legs, he thought he'd be pounded for sure by the lot of the mud creatures. Luck seemed to be on his side, however, and though the mud was strong while hardening, it seemed to become rather brittle in short order. A globule of mud whizzed by his head, missing its mark by a long shot. Because of this, the mud on Gray's legs began to fracture, and it was only a matter of seconds before the Hengeyokai was able to free his legs from the impediment of sediment.

Rushing through the swamp-like terrain around him, Gray wanted to ensure that he could get to one of the larger Mud Men before it could fling more balls of hardening mud at him. Heat radiating from his body, any mudmen brave enough to touch the monk would find its "skin" drying and cracking like the barren terrain of his homeland. Face to "face" with the larger mud creature, Gray concentrates, feeling the pit of his stomach burn while focusing his ki. Gray feels his senses sharpen from the aura surrounding Sabynha, and this allowed him to better track his opponents movements. Heat rippled from his body and concentrated on his hands, which now glowed like miniature suns. Reaching out for the center of the mud creature, Gray attempted to dry it out from the inside out with a series of spear hand strikes, while simultaneously protecting his own body with the continual heat emanating from him in all directions.

[sblock=Actions]

Move: Blistering Flourish Movement; Gray moves from J10 to L10. Any creature that hits him with an attack of opportunity during this movement takes 6 fire damage.

No Action: Gray accepts the floating +2 to hit from Sabynha's aura. (included in the roll shown below)

Standard: Light the Fire; Gray rolls 23 vs MM2's reflex, hitting for 11 fire damage. Gray activates an aura 1 that lasts until the start of his next turn. Any enemy that starts its turn within the aura (this currently only includes MM2 unless another creature is moved into his aura) takes 6 fire damage.

Free: Desert Wind Flurry of Blows vs MM2; MM2 takes 6 fire damage.
[/sblock]

OOC: Summary - Gray uses Blistering Flourish Movement to move from J10 to L10. Any creature that hits him with an attack of opportunity during this movement takes 6 fire damage. - Gray uses the floating +2 bonus to hit from Sabynha's aura. - Gray hits MM2 with Light the Fire Desert Wind Flurry of Blows for 17 fire damage. - Gray activates an Aura 1 that lasts until the start of his next turn. At the start of MM2's turn (any any other enemy of Gray's that starts its turn within the aura) it will take 6 more fire damage.

[sblock=Gray's Stats] Gray - Hengeyokai Monk 1
Status: Aura 1 (6 fire damage) from Light the Fire until the start of Gray's next turn.
Passive Perception 10, Passive Insight 10
AC 17, Fort 11, Reflex 16, Will 15
HP 17/22, Bloodied 11, Surge Value 5, Surges 5/7
Speed 7, Initiative +5
Action Points: 0, Second Wind []
At-Will Powers: Blistering Flourish, Steel Wind, Desert Wind Flurry of Blows, Nature's Mask
Encounter Powers: Light the Fire[x], Surefooted Stride[x]
Daily Powers: Risen Sun [x]
[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

Zuri tries desperately to free herself from the interior of the mud shape surrounding her. Wat's divine power however cuts through the muck, though not before the amorphous shape lashes out with a flail of mud and rock.

Gray's attack sizzles and scorches the mud man dry. Fearful of the damage caused by the monks elemental power the mud creature folds in on itself, dissolving away to reappear at the southern edge of the pool. Zuri, now free of the cloying mud, cocks her hand crossbow once more and fires a bolt into the head of the severely scorched mud man. As the nimble rogue dodges away to hide around the corner, the mud man bellows in rage and frustration.

The elemental creatures that remain continue to pound the adventurers with their balls of mud, though no new shape arises by the pool as Wat manages to contain the regenerative power of the pool for now.

[sblock=Combat Summary]So there has been some slight misunderstanding gone on there with ms6 being killed twice. As Sabynha's movement is hindered by the slowed condition I've decided that her hit stands and Wat's divine bolt will instead hit ms5 and miss ms6, freeing Zuri. However ms5 does get an OAtk first (not one that can engulf though). Edit: Oops, I wrote Gray; I meant Wat: Hit for 5 dmg

MM2 will use Amorphous Shape as an Imm. Reaction and Shift away after Gray's strike.

In the interests of moving on and not knowine when [MENTION=6690636]Daeja[/MENTION] will be able to take back the reigns: Zuri attacks MM2 with Disheartening Strike hoping to finish it before it can retaliate. She will then retreat and try and hide. Edit: I can't believe I wasted one of my rare crits on you! Max dmg = 10 dmg to MM3

Then MM3 will fire a Mud Ball at Gray: Miss (forgot to include -2 from Zuri but still no where near for it to matter)
MM2 will fire at Sabynha: Hit; immobilised TENT

The power of the pool that regenerates mud shape minions has been neutralised.[/sblock]

GM: Round 4: You're up! Finish them!!

[sblock=Status]
Mudshapes:

Mudmen:
MM1 DEAD
MM2 26 dmg; Bloodied
MM3 37dmg; Bloodied; -2 atk TENT

Sabynha: 5/28 HP; 6/10 Surges; AP Used: bloodied; immobilised TENT
Wat: 14/28 HP; 8/10 Surges; AP Used; Bloodied
Rain: 29/31 HP; 9/10 Surges;
Zuri: 16/24 HP; 4/7 Surges; AP Used;
Gray: 17/22 HP; 5/7 Surges; AP Used
[/sblock]
[sblock=Creatures]
Mud Men HP:43 AC 14 F/R/W 15/13/13
Mud Shapes (Minions) AC 15 F/R/W 14/12/12
Both have Relentless Assault: +2 bonus to atks vs Slowed or Immobilised creatures
[/sblock]

 

[Son of Meepo]

Wat Moves to get a better view of the remaining mud men, calling more bolts of lightning from his hands. However, he is unable to hit either of them.

[sblock=actions]Move: K12
Standard: Divine Bolts (MM2, MM3) (1d20+4=11, 1d6+4=8, 1d20+4=7, 1d6+4=6)[/sblock]

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

OOC: derp. sorry for the confusion. I find is so hard to keep track of what's happening without a visual aid. For the sake of speeding this along, can we say that Knack For Success was used to grant Wat a +2 to hit (which would allow his attack to hit MM2)? If not, next person to attack gets it instead. Fair?

Sabynha took another mud ball, this time it hit her squarely, plastering her to the cave wall and would certainly leave a bruise. Unable to move in to engage a target, she drops her sword and grabs a dagger from its buckler sheath. She wasn't sure how a dagger would hurt a glob of mud, but the vistani concluded that it must have important bits in there somewhere, so she let fly, hitting nothing but air.

[sblock=actions]Free: Focused Discipline (offence; +1 on MBAs)
Free: Drop sword
Minor: Draw dagger
Move -> Minor: Song of Savagery (if I hit, next ally to hit gets +4 damage)
Standard: Throw dagger at MM2 1d20+6+1=9, 1d4+5=8 Miss![/sblock]
[sblock=ministats]Passive Insight 20 Passive Perception 15; Senses Low-light Vision
Skald's Aura (Healing, Martial) aura 5; active.
HP 5/28 Bloodied 14 Surge Value 7; Surges Per-Day 6/10
AC 17 Fortitude 13 Reflex 15 Will 15
Action Points 0
Speed 6

Powers:
Skald's Aura (active; 0 heals remaining)
Focused Discipline (active; offence +1 to hit with MBA)
Song of Serendipity
Song of Savagery
Knack for Success (spent)
Lesser Flash of Distraction (spent - for real this time)
Cautionary Tale or Disrupting Words[/sblock]

OOC: It seems like it always happens this way - get the monsters down to the last couple swings, and everybody starts whiffing. Bleh.

 

[CrimsonFlameWielder]

"You can run...but I am faster!" Gray says to the mud man who had escaped the majority of his fiery wrath. Moving once again through the mud, body exuding dry heat, Gray assaults the mud creature with a flurry of super heated fists and feet that quickly boil away any moisture on the mud creature where it is hit, creating a cracked surface where the mud became dry and brittle.

[sblock=Actions]
- Movement: Blistering Flourish [Movement]: Gray moves from L10 to M8; Any creature that hits Gray with an OAtk during this movement takes 6 fire damage.

- Standard: Blistering Flourish vs MM2's reflex; Gray rolls 21, hitting for 8 fire damage. Until the end of his next turn, Gray's melee attacks deal an extra +4 fire damage.

- Free Action: Desert Wind Flurry of Blows, targeting MM2; Deals 10 fire damage to MM2.
[/sblock]

OOC: Summary: - Gray moves to M8. - Gray hits MM2 with Blistering Flourish and Desert Wind Flurry of Blows for 18 fire damage. Until the end of Gray's next turn, his melee attacks deal an extra +4 fire damage. - MM2 has now taken 44/43 damage and should now be dead (unless it has the ability to interrupt my attacks or has some form of damage reduction)

[sblock=Gray's Stats] Gray - Hengeyokai Monk 1
Status: Normal
Passive Perception 10, Passive Insight 10
AC 17, Fort 11, Reflex 16, Will 15
HP 17/22, Bloodied 11, Surge Value 5, Surges 5/7
Speed 7, Initiative +5
Action Points: 0, Second Wind []
At-Will Powers: Blistering Flourish, Steel Wind, Desert Wind Flurry of Blows, Nature's Mask
Encounter Powers: Light the Fire[x], Surefooted Stride[x]
Daily Powers: Risen Sun [x]
[/sblock]

 

[Neil1889]

Relieved that Zuri appears to be safe, Rain manoeuvres over the rocks to prepare to launch herself at the remaining Mud Man; jumping back into the mud to make her assault, she stumbles and her attack goes wild.

Rain makes a vow to become better at this.

[sblock=actions]Move Action: Moves to K13.

Standard Action - Charge MM3 from K13 to M13. Basic Melee Attack: To Hit: 11. Miss. Yay...

Potential Interrupts: Guardian's Counter or Infernal Wrath[/sblock]


[sblock=Ministats
Rain

Female Tiefling Swordmage, Level 1.
Initiative: +1, Passive Perception: 9, Passive Insight: 10. Senses: Low-light vision.
AC: 20, Fort: 13, Reflex: 14, Will: 14.
HP: 29/31, Bloodied: 15, Surge Value: 7, Surges left: 10/11
Speed: 6 squares. Size: Medium. Languages: Tsugo, Allarian.
Saving Throw Bonuses: Nothing to report.
Action Points: 1
Powers:
Infernal Wrath
Second Wind
Guardian's Counter
Aegis of Shielding
Sword Burst
Booming Blade
Sword of Sigils
Dimensional Thunder
Leather Armour of Aegis Expansion - Encounter Power
Conditions:
[/sblock]

 

[jbear]

One mud man falls to Gray's scorching attacks, the other to Zuri's crossbow bolt as she ducks back around the corner and nails her target in the head once more. Both shapes lose their solidity, dissolving back into the muddy pool. Eventually the pool ceases its burbling, the glittering lights fade beneath the surface, and it becomes seemingly lifeless and still.

However Wat can sense that the eldritch power of the pool, though neutralised, has not been defeated permanently. You have won some time but this is not a place you will want to linger for too long.

GM: One down and the other tottering. I'm going to say Zuri's bolt hits and call the battle there, bringing an end to the whiff fest misery! Combat over! You can take a short rest

 

[Son of Meepo]

Wat sits by the edge of the muck-filled pool catching his breath while trying to figure out if something more can be done about the connection to elemental earth.

Arcana (1d20+7=10)

He wasn't really coming up with anything, so he directed the question to others, in particular, Rain who he assumed had a good knowledge of the arcane.

"So what do we do about the pool and those trapped within? It won't be long until the portal is open again."

OOC: Wat spends 2 healing surges during the short rest. (Gains an Action Point!)

[sblock=Wat's Stats]Wat - Half-Elf Invoker 1+
Status: Normal
Passive Perception 14, Passive Insight 16
AC 16, Fort 15, Reflex 13, Will 15
HP 28+5/28, Bloodied 14, Surge Value 7, Surges 6/10
Speed 5, Initiative +0
Action Points: 1, Second Wind []
At-Will Powers: Astral Wind,
Divine Bolts
Encounter Powers: Thunderwave [],
Thunder of Judgement [],
Shining Symbol [],
Channel Divinity []
Daily Powers: Silent Malediction [x]
[/sblock]

 

[Nemesis Destiny]

Sabynha, fearing that the two young lovers are now lost, and their mission failed, collapses near the mounds, holding each of their hands that jut up from the muddy mounds. She weeps softly, and begins to sing a vistani dirge.

OOC: Sabynha spends 2 surges at 11hp a pop (Song of Rest). All other party members spending surges also get +4 hit points per surge.

[sblock=ministats]
Passive Insight 20 Passive Perception 15; Senses Low-light Vision
Skald's Aura (Healing, Martial) aura 5; active.
HP 27/28 +5thp Bloodied 14 Surge Value 7; Surges Per-Day 4/10
AC 17 Fortitude 13 Reflex 15 Will 15
Action Points 1
Speed 6

Powers:
Skald's Aura (inactive; 2 heals remaining)
Focused Discipline
Song of Serendipity
Song of Savagery
Knack for Success (recharged)
Lesser Flash of Distraction (recharged)
Cautionary Tale or Disrupting Words[/sblock]

 

[CrimsonFlameWielder]

Seeing Sabynha collapse near the two lover's hands, Gray cautiously walks over to them, brow furrowed in sadness, and sits next to his newly acquired vistani friend.

"Were we....were we too late? Should we bring them back to their parents?"

OOC: Gray spends one healing surge to bring him back to full HP. He is now has 4/7 surges remaining. Gray gains an action point (woohoo!)