The Fey, the Far, and the Ugly Space In Between

[Tecklenburg]

As I stare into the mighty wyrm's eyes, unflinching, I casually pull a tendertwig out of my pack (marking off 1 AG), strike it to the bottom of my foot, and move the warming flames to the cross-guard of my sword and knife. The conduction of the heat should melt the ice which cements the blades to their respective scabbards.

Patting Rawr on his huge back and looking at my allies I say "...we are the sort of low company that keeps kings from falling when their kingdom is overrun by immature aboleths looking for a hearty meal. We are the sort of low company that battles the hidden threat to the domain of the Frozen Wind of the North. Even now, as we speak they are working. Like a thief in the night, Far Realm denizens steal Averandox's cattle and claim his subjects."

I look beyond my sight-line, toward the huge body of glacial melt-water that serves as the watering hole for the highland creatures this far north. "The usurpers toil beneath the waters next to your very lair."

I'm looking at him very closely after my words. I'm looking for any sign that he is intrigued, taken aback, offended. Anything. I'm really hoping that maybe he goes for a swim and finds something that shouldn't be there, confirming my words!

[sblock]Discern Realities (Wis)
1, 1 + 0 = 2.

Mark xp[/sblock]

Oh boy...

 

[Manbearcat]

Like a titanic sized whip, the white dragon's tail snaps toward Saerie's position, rending the ice-boulder structure in half, turning her cover into ineffective rubble. "Join us little she-elf. We are discussing the last few moments of your lives..." he says with a wickedly savage, toothy grin that takes in the entirety of his enormous head.

If you're going to continue to attempt to court him, you better start being convincing...and immediately...because his patience is wearing then.

 

[Binks]

Like a titanic sized whip, the white dragon's tail snaps toward Saerie's position, rending the ice-boulder structure in half, turning her cover into ineffective rubble. "Join us little she-elf. We are discussing the last few moments of your lives..." he says with a wickedly savage, toothy grin that takes in the entirety of his enormous head.

If you're going to continue to attempt to court him, you better start being convincing...and immediately...because his patience is wearing then.

"We've walked right up to your doorstep without tribute. If your jaws and your size frightened us, do you think we would be here? In such a way?" I string an arrow and aim at Otthor. This is a game we have practiced many a time. "You have nothing to lose from listening to us, but it might be that you gain truly worthy allies." I loose the arrow for Otthor to catch. It cuts through the air with tremendous speed toward his face. Hopefully, when the dragon sees Otthor snatch it out of mid-air, he will figure out that we're not bit players in his grand play. We mean business.

[sblock]Aid (Bond)
6, 4 + 2 = 12

Otthor takes + 1 on his Defy Danger to disarm the dragon's ire and intrigue him.[/sblock]

 

[Tecklenburg]

Listening to the thrum of the bowstring, feeling the disturbance in the air, and knowing the perfection that is Saerie's aim, I catch the arrow without taking my gaze from the dragon. "In our peoples' culture, an intact arrow perfectly fired from an elven bow is a gift of alliance. Breaking that arrow is a declaration of war. We can help each other or we can bleed your glacier red together. You decide."

I hold the arrow out to the dragon with both my hands, palms up.

[sblock]Defy Danger (Cha)
6, 4 + 1 (+ 1 Aid) = 12[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
The winds of a winter storm rush in, carry the arrow aloft on them, suspending it in mid-air.

"Go on..." the creature's voice is momentarily the patient glacier grinding the continental crust into submission...

"The people in these mountains have lived in relative peace under your reign. Now creatures from an alien realm come to undo that. We come from the Feywild to ensure that those same alien creatures do not invade our world. We would help you put an end to them and their sinister, unknowable aims.

...All we ask in return is that you confirm if human refugees traveled through here to the Coldlands with your permission. And if they did, we ask that you grant us the same permission. They fled the carnage those alien beings visited upon their families and their homes. Once the alien creatures are destroyed, we wish to return them to their homes."

[sblock]Parley (Cha)
6, 2 + 1 (+ 1 for Saerie's Decades of Experience she gave me at the beginning) = 10

Leverage being us helping him remove the aboleth threat to his claim over this region.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Suddenly, the winter winds whisk the arrow away, whole and intact, to the dragon's horde. The tension of the moment is alleviated somewhat. The awe-inspiring creature assumes a less ominous posture. "It has been 300 years since anything, dragon or man, has challenged my claim."

The titan-sized white dragon moves its mighty head slowly down toward you to speak to you literally face to face. "You will take me to these creatures. If it is as you say, then we will destroy them. In return I will do you better than just granting you permission to climb my wall to the Coldlands. I will fly you there myself..."

"To the meltwater lake then. There will surely be more in the vast expanse of water at World's End Bluff. How many, I do not know. These creatures have powerful magic of the mind and are at home in the water."

I signal for everyone to head back down the stairs and ready the sleds. "We will meet you there shortly. Draw them out to the shore and to us, if you are able."

Per Manbearcat
"Nonsense" the impatient wyrm says. "I will carry you there. I lust over the slaughter of usurpers to my rule. And if what you have sworn is not there, I do not wish to wait to devour you for your treachery."

[sblock]This is a gargantuan dragon. You and your goblin henchman, Saerie, Rawr and the dog can easily fit on his back and grasp his scales. Saerie can hold the dog (or something).

You're going to have to make the below move:

Aboleth Invasion?
When you use strict deduction to predict the dragon will find aboleths in the meltwater reservoir, Roll + Int. On a 10+ he finds evidence of what you've promised and choose 2. On a 7-9, he finds evidence of what you've promised and choose 1:

* There isn't a gate to the Far Realm.
* It isn't teeming with a horde of immature aboleths.
* The dragon isn't in over his head (ha?).[/sblock]

Alright, we climb aboard then. Here goes nothing:

[sblock]Aboleth Invasion?
2, 2 + 3 = 7.

I choose:

* The dragon isn't in over his head (ha?).[/sblock]

Holy crap that was close.

 

[Manbearcat]

In a flash Averandox's mighty wings have you on the precipice of the great, hugely deep, bowl that serves as the meltwater basin for the interior of these highlands. There is an eerie stillness. This place should be teeming with life of all manner, predator and prey. The reservoir near the shore is mildly frozen, perhaps an inch or so, while it quickly opens up to water that laps gently on the thin ice. The tundra scrub is worn and/or heavily chewed by the creatures that normally call this home. But there is no sight of them.

Averandox massive form finds the earth and he lets you clamber off his back. When the last of you is off, a great beat of his wings takes him straight up into the air without a word. Just as quickly, he "stalls" and nose-dives into the water, rending the ice into pieces and cascading a huge wave of water over the edge of the lake and onto the frozen ground where you reside.

He is under a good tense minute when he resurfaces with violent suddenness, displacing a massive amount of water as before. He grasps the shoreline with both of his draconic claws, tearing great lines in the bank's frozen tundra. In his jaws is a huge aboleth, half-in and half-out. Clearly he doesn't like the taste nor the terrible mucus haze that assaults his eyes, courtesy of the advanced state of the creature. He shakes it wildly like a shark might and then he flings it onto shore before you. The mighty aboleth, torn but still quite alive, gets its bearings and attempts to lance open your minds to make thralls of you. In your minds you hear "...cast off your illusion of time...space...self...the void welcomes you."

You quickly realize that the dragon is struggling mightily as it attempts to pull itself out of the water. Its head drops below the water line and it loses its grip on the shore several times. You see an unfathomable number of immature aboleths swarming all over the ancient white wyrm, their combined might and the strength of their foul secretions like a hive of killer bees taking down a prey hundreds of times their size.

The dragon unleashes a deafening, bone-shattering roar and a blizzard manifests from nothing, galeforce winds tossing several of the immature aboleths from his form and back into the water and a few in your midst on shore. A stalemate for now.

---

You guys can go ahead and define where you are with respect to things (the flooded shore, the dragon, the 3 aboleths, a pair of moraines, each other) and then make a move. Immediately thereafter, I'm going to need a DD (Wis) from everyone.

This is the real deal here; a huge aboleth overseer. A creature possessed of mind magic unparalleled except for the most powerful mind flayers. Tentacles as long and powerful as a kraken. A mucus excretion so foul that it could literally kill you with its vileness. It has no fear of being on land.

Also FYI - while the aboleth does telepathically speak to you, the collection of disembodied, deranged whispers and disturbing images that you dealt with prior do not assail your mind.

 

[Tecklenburg]

You guys can go ahead and define where you are with respect to things (the flooded shore, the dragon, the 3 aboleths, a pair of moraines, each other) and then make a move. Immediately thereafter, I'm going to need a DD (Wis) from everyone.

This is the real deal here; a huge aboleth overseer. A creature possessed of mind magic unparalleled except for the most powerful mind flayers. Tentacles as long and powerful as a kraken. A mucus excretion so foul that it could literally kill you with its vileness. It has no fear of being on land.

Also FYI - while the aboleth does telepathically speak to you, the collection of disembodied, deranged whispers and disturbing images that you dealt with prior do not assail your mind.

I'm visualizing Otthor with his two goblin pals squaring off against the huge aboleth overseer while Saerie handles the little guys. The goblins and myself are near one of the two moraines which isn't too far from the watering hole's shore where animals, who I guess are now all aboleths (!), used to drink. This moraine is a pretty large feature of the area; a ridge of frozen soil and rock some 15 feet high and hundreds of feat long.

My first thought is to get the aboleth overseer away from the water so it can't escape. I want to fling the creature away from the water and hopefully near the moraine so I'm between the two. I don't want to get in melee range with the aboleth though. I want to stay away from the mucus haze if I can help it. I pass that along to my goblin allies.

My second thought is to get away from the water myself because it's freezing cold, terribly deep, and filled with monstrous creatures! From range, maybe 30-40 feet, I begin my dirge.

[sblock]Wind Slash (Int)
2, 2 (+3) = 7

I have to put myself in danger will be my complication.

d8 damage and Burst: Your attack deals an additional 1d4 damage and gains the ‘forceful’ tag. 2 - 1 (armor) = 1 + 3 (Burst) = 4 damage and forceful.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Your lift the bulky aberration from the frozen earth with all the might your force magic can muster. You can't fling it far, but you're able to get it further from the water and nearer the moraine while staying out of the range of its sickly aura.

Right on cue, a monstrous tentacle explodes from the fish-like creature's face with nothing but bad intentions.

[sblock]You've got danger to defy * 2. This + the DD Wis from the charm.[/sblock]

I'll resolve both simultaneously.

My goblin allies are there with their shields, forming an almost impenetrable barrier before me while I attempt to evade the tentacle with my quickness. As the powerful aboleth's alien mind enters my own, I erect a mental fortress which is reinforced by the presence of my allies!

[sblock]I'm going to use their Intervene ability so + 1 but I can only get a 7-9 at best.
Defy Danger (Dex)
1, 4 + 1 (+1 Intervene) = 7.

Success but a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.

Same thing with Intervene again.

Defy Danger (Wis)
2, 5 + 0 (+1 Intervene) = 8.

Success but a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
In order:

1) The goblin brothers are knocked off their feet and onto their backs as they absorb the full brunt of the powerful tentacle assault. You won't be able to take advantage of Intervene or Sentry for the moment.

2) Xanob's mind clearly has been temporarily taken from him. With his helmet thrown from his head due to the tentacle's blow, you can easily see his face. His eyes go wide and his mouth begins to froth. He rolls on top of his brother and attempts to decapitate him or choke him to death with the edge of his shield!

I immediately intervene, slamming into Xanob's shoulder and grabbing the shield to protect Exel.

[sblock]Defend (Con)
6, 4 + 1 = 11. 3 hold. I'll spend it on.

* Redirect an attack from the thing you defend to yourself
* Halve the attack’s effect or damage

d6 damage to me. 6 (ouch...)/2 = 3 damage - 2 armor = 1 damage to me.

On the last one, can I either open him up his brother to knock him out or can I knock him out myself with the 4 damage? Obviously I don't want to kill him.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Yeah, you can either open him up to Exel or you can knock him out yourself. Lets split the difference and say you pull his shield from him and slam it into him while Xanob slugs him in the face. He's out cold. You're down one hireling for the fight.

Sit tight while I move Binks forward

 

[Binks]

The dragon unleashes a deafening, bone-shattering roar and a blizzard manifests from nothing, galeforce winds tossing several of the immature aboleths from his form and back into the water and a few in your midst on shore. A stalemate for now.

---

You guys can go ahead and define where you are with respect to things (the flooded shore, the dragon, the 3 aboleths, a pair of moraines, each other) and then make a move. Immediately thereafter, I'm going to need a DD (Wis) from everyone.

[sblock]Mark 1 xp from Otthor's usage of the information I gave him from Decades of Experience in Parleying with the dragon.[/sblock]

These immature aboleths are smaller than the advanced stalkers from the king's chambers. Are they the same or smaller than the one Otthor slew in the depths of Earthmaw?

Also, As soon as we hit the ground I'll have climbed onto the other moraine a bit further back. It is a smaller collection of large boulders with plenty of opportunities to hide in a cozy sniper's nest. So Camouflage and Called Shot, yes?

Per Manbearcat
1) They are smaller than that. These are barely medium sized creatures with tentacles that stretch no further than Reach range, no mucus haze, and a softer, squishier exterior than the more advanced ones (6 HP, 0 armor). They may have only cocooned one time. Likely they haven't found the requisite food source to mature.

But they're like cockroaches...they scurry quickly and they're everywhere.

2) Camo and CS for the first shot, yes.

Alright, I'm focusing on the two on shore at this point. I let fly the first arrow...

[sblock]Called Shot

d8 damage. Rolled 6. Dead.[/sblock]

...and down goes the first one, the viscous arrow leaving a nasty 4 inch exit. Standing and stringing another, I shout for Rawr to engage the second one which is moving in on Otthor and our goblin allies. I see the powerful Aboleth and feel its invasive presence in my mind. I've got something for him too.

The dog wags its tail below me and barks.

[sblock]Volley (Dex)
4, 1 + 2 = 7

I'll choose danger as my complication.

Immature aboleth = d8 + 3 (Rawr). 4 + 3 = 7. Dead.

Blot Out the Sun. Spending 1 ammo to damage the big aboleth.

Aboleth Overseer = d8. 7 - 1 = 6.[/sblock]

[sblock]Defy Danger (Wis). The danger of the Aboleth Overseer's charm.
2, 6 + 2 = 10.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Having dealt with powerful Fey enchantments in the course of your many years, your mind easily dismisses the magical intrusion by the powerful aboleth.

The second immature aboleth is slain by your hail of arrows and Rawr's ferocious mauling. But where 2 fall, several more take their place...

Your danger complication is that 6 more immature aboleth's are shaken free from Averandox's form as he struggles to get out of the water. He is literally covered with them. He flings them with such violence that 2 of them land at the base of your moraine (Reach range). Their tentacles immediately lash like whips from their body, threatening to take your legs from you.

[sblock]You can take a shot, but you're going to eat some damage and a forceful tag for your efforts. Your choice.[/sblock]

Think about it and get back to me as I have to move Otthor along. Rawr won't be able to engage them immediately as he is several paces away with the corpse of the 2nd immature aboleth. The other 4 are all Far range from you.

2 of them are Reach range of you Otthor @Morrus;, and the other 2 are Far range from you, tossed further along the ridge line of that long moraine, with the Aboleth Overseer between them and your position. If you want to get to Close range for Flawless Bladework, you're going to have to defy some danger and get inside that range.

 

[Tecklenburg]

Per Manbearcat
2 of them are Reach range of you Otthor, and the other 2 are Far range from you, tossed further along the ridge line of that long moraine, with the Aboleth Overseer between them and your position. If you want to get to Close range for Flawless Bladework, you're going to have to defy some danger and get inside that range.

I leave Exel's protective flank, dive inside of their tentacle reach, somersault through the thicket of wavy appendages...

[sblock]Defy Danger (Dex)
6, 3 + 1 = 10[/sblock]

...and unleash a fury of blade and magic.

[sblock]Flawless Bladework (Int)
4, 3 + 3 = 10.

d8 damage and 2 techniques. 8 - 0 = 8. 1st one is dead.

Burst: Your attack deals an additional 1d4 damage and gains the ‘forceful’ tag. Doesn't matter because he is dead!

Flowing: If your attack kills a target, you may immediately attack a new target as if you had gotten a 7-9 on the move you initially used.

Flowing takes me to the second immature aboleth.

d8 damage and 1 technique. 7 - 0 = 7. 2nd one is dead.

Soul-Siphoning: Your attack heals you for 1d4. Heal 1d8 instead if this attack kills your target. 4 (2 back as I was down only 2) HP back.

d6 counterattack on me for 7-9. 4 - 2 = 2 damage to me.[/sblock]

As my foes fall before me, I feel myself fall into the rhythmic ebb and flow of the battle's song. I became an unconscious instrument of blade and spell.

[sblock]Bladesong (Int)
4, 4 + 3 = 11

Hold 3 Bladesong. Spend Bladesong 1 for 1:

* Void Note - Teleport somewhere nearby within your line of sight.
* Guarded Flourish - When you have no weapon or shield in your offhand and you take damage, take + 2 armor.
* Blade Crescendo - When you deal damage to an enemy within your melee weapon's range, gain 2 piercing.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Sit tight as I move things forward.

 

[Binks]

Per Manbearcat
Your danger complication is that 6 more immature aboleth's are shaken free from Averandox's form as he struggles to get out of the water. He is literally covered with them. He flings them with such violence that 2 of them land at the base of your moraine (Reach range). Their tentacles immediately lash like whips from their body, threatening to take your legs from you.

[sblock]You can take a shot, but you're going to eat some damage and a forceful tag for your efforts. Your choice.[/sblock]

I'll get out of the danger first before I line up my next victim.

I throw my bow over my shoulder, kick the tentacles from my legs and climb to the top of the stack of ancient boulders. It isn't terribly high, but it is just outside of their Reach range.

[sblock]Defy Danger (Str).
2, 5 + 0 = 7.

Success but a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
You make it to the top (maybe 15 feet up) as their tentacles flail uselessly at the rocks just below you. But quick like cockroaches, they begin to move up those rocks, cornering you on your precarious perch.

Worse still, the dragon violently thrashes, smashing several of the immature aboleths under his fury but throwing several others in the process. Two more land near the base of the glacial deposition you've just summited.

Two more come down nearer Otthor (all three Near range so out of their tentacle reach; I'll post a map tonight).

Finally, the thrashing dragon explodes out of the water with a furious roar. Trailing the collosal beast are two more huge aboleth overseers, their might tentacles both wrapped around his tail. He isn't able to get fully airborn and comes crashing down awkwardly on the shore in a titanic landing. Frozen tundra cracks and explodes all around, sending fissures speeding out from the area.

I don't have time to worry about that with all of the trouble before me. The dragon can take care of himself. My bow is back in my hands, lightning quick, arrows streaming forth. I shout to Rawr "I need you my friend!"

[sblock]Volley (Dex)
4, 1 + 2 = 7

I'll choose danger as my complication.

Immature aboleth = d8. 4 damage = Not dead.

Blot Out the Sun. Spending 1 ammo to attack another of the immature aboleth's surrounding me. Now down to 3 ammo.

Immature aboleth = d8. 8 damage = Dead.[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
Rawr is in full stride, his maw covered with the blood and gore of the aboleth you slew prior.

You feel it as much or more than you hear it...ambient heat and then geysers of steam fire into the air from the frozen tundra. The boulders become immediately warm to the touch as if something is transferring heat to them from below. The warming rocks and exploding steam are soon accompanied by a trembling of the massive stones beneath your feet. A moment later, the entirety of ground around your immediate area begins to shake violently...and distort updwards...as if something is coming out of it...

Not good. I need to find some new terrain that I can use to my advantage. I look around for any other defensible terrain besides these two morraines, preferably another area of elevation.

[sblock]Discern Realities (Wis)
3, 3 + 2 = 8

* What here is useful or valuable to me? Take + 1 forward when acting on it[/sblock]

Per Manbearcat
You're in a pickle.

1) You've got a colossal dragon fighting two huge aboleths nearby on your forward left.

2) You've got the long moraine to your right that is covered with aboleths and the other aboleth overseer.

3) Rawr is coming from right down the middle between those two with Otthor, who has carved out a little spot at the base of the long moraine near the water, at his back (Far range from each other). Rallying there puts the water on one flank and all the aboleths on the other. The top of that moraine's ridge may not be too bad and at least you'll have your allies with you (unless they get charmed of course!). But you'll have to fight through the 4 new immature aboleths that just entered the fracas when the dragon shucked them off his back...

Again I'll upload a map tonight.

Hmmmm...ok. To Otthor and the ridge-line of the other moraine it is. Yo-yoing him about, I attempt to scream over the sounds of the dragon's roars and earth-shattering landing. "Rawr, run away! I'm coming to you!" I look down at the dog and point toward Rawr. I've got one step's worth of leverage on the apex boulder of this moraine. I take it and make a dashing leap, nimbly navigating the treacherous stones near the bottom with great dexterity, and sprinting away from this position toward Rawr.

[sblock]Defy Danger (Dex)
6, 3 + 2 (+1 from DR) = 12[/sblock]

Per Manberacat
The old dog moves his aching body with everything he has and follows you through the maze of enemies toward your awaiting bear.

I'll move things along this evening and then Otthor can go.

 

[Manbearcat]

Remember those remorhaz tunnels from way back when? Yeah, those tunnels. And what comes with remorhaz tunnels? You guessed it.

---

As Saerie and the dog dash across the frozen tundra, they leave the sound of the earth cracking and the permafrost hissing in their wake. The stacked boulders of glacial deposition erupts. From the earth explodes a huge centipede looking creature; whitish blue, a huge frill on its upper half and four insectoid antennae jutting from its face. Its terrifying maw and two large compound eyes hone in on one of the immature aboleths that is flung in the air from the earth eruption. Surely hungry from missing several meals due to the Far Realm taint "stealing" its natural prey, it devours the aboleth in one bite. The other two (including the one you gravely injured) are flung wide.

The magical beast's exoskeleton glows with the intensity of a thousand furnaces. The ice and snow on the ground before it noisily protest for the briefest of moments before they are instantly turned to steam. Any metal weapons touching this creature will be slagged without a doubt. It has its mind set on more meals and begins to take off after Saerie and the (slow) old dog.

---

1) Saerie, you have a gauntlet of three immature aboleths to run before you can get to Otthor. You've got two of them behind you moving after you (possibly more just running away from the remorhaz than anything else!). And of course a huge, hungry centipede that longs to eat with the power of a thousand burning suns!

2) Otthor, as you finish off the immature aboleths, the Aboleth Overseer on the ridge throws its terrifyingly long and impossibly strong tentacles your way. It invades your mind with "...let us join..." Its alien maw seems to smile. If it had a tongue, it might lick its nonexistent lips. The one nearest you (IA8) moves to engage you while the two on the far end of the long moraine collect themselves from their "dragon flinging" and begin to navigate the rocky slope in a northerly course (toward your position).

3) The mighty white dragon and the powerful aboleths are locked in deadly battle. Their staggering mucus haze seems to be wearing down even on his incredible fortitude.