[Adventure] Serpent's Skull: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv (DM: Mewness; Judge: THB)

Hú Lí still seems somewhat discombobulated, and her music does not have the force it normally does.[sblock=actions]Standard: Vicious Mockery (Will) vs. Nylithati: 3(1d20) +8 = 11; 3(1d6) +5 = 8

The whiff-fest continues![/sblock][sblock=Hú Lí]The Black Fox Fox Spirit (Changeling) Bard 4
Initiative: +3, Passive Perception: 18, Passive Insight: 20
AC:21, Fort:14, Reflex:18, Will:19
+4 vs. AC, 1d6-1 damage

HP:25/39, Bloodied:19, Surge Value:9, Surges left:4/8
Action Points: 0, Second Wind: used
Powers: Fox Spirit Disguise, Wild Shape, Staggering Note, Vicious Mockery, Changeling's Armor
Blunder, Dissonant Strain, Fox Spirit Trick, Grasping Claws, Majestic Word x2, Words of Friendship, Noble Presence, Painted Drum
Stirring Shout, Canon of Avoidance, Amulet of Seduction

Virtue of Cunning: Once per round, when an enemy misses an ally within 9 squares of the Black Fox, the Fox may slide the ally 1 square as a free action.

Conditions:
[/sblock]

In contrast to the coursing, deceptive magics of the withered witch, an aura of strength and righteous rage starts to pulse from Noriaki, not visible to the naked eye, but felt in the air around the crypt. The young Jadian and his bloodthirsty sword strike down upon the foe, completing the Dragon's Jaws Bite Down manuever with Takahaan and filling him with vigor.


[sblock=Mechanics]
Standard: Escalating Violence on Nylithati
Attack roll: 1d20+10=20, booyah!
Damage Roll: 2d12+8=20 +1d6=1. 21 damage, and if Noriaki takes damage before the start of his next turn, he gets +2 to the attack and damage rolls of his next attack. Also, Takahaan gets +5 to his damage rolls against Nylithati until the end of my next turn.

[/sblock]
[sblock=Noriaki]
Noriaki Matsumoto
Male Human Thaneborn Barbarian 4
Initiative: +5(+7 with Takahaan)
Passive Perception: 12
Passive Insight: 13
Senses: Normal

AC:20
Fort:20
Reflex:18
Will:16
HP:18/45
Bloodied:22
Surges left:7/9
Surge Value:11
Action Points: 0/1

MBA: +10 to hit, 1d12+8 damage
Howling Strike
Pressing Strike
Escalating Violence [x]
Shatterbone Strike []
Howl of Triumph []
Shrug it off [x]
Heroic Effort []
Second Wind []
Swift Panther Rage [x]


Conditions:

Action Surge: +3 bonus to attack rolls made during an action gained by spending an action point.

Horned Helm: +1d6 to charge damage

Battlecrazed Weapon: +1d6 damage when bloodied

Feral Might(Thaneborn Triumph): Whenever you bloody an enemy, the next attack by you or an ally against that enemy gains a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Charisma modifier(+2).[/sblock]

Blood sprays from the ghoul-witch’s body as Castile strikes, but it merely coats her shield. The creature retreats, hissing, but her opponents resist the urge to meet her evil gaze.

[sblock=actions and rolls]Reaction to Castile’s hit: Nylithati poison spray vs Fort (-2 marked), Castile
2(1d20) +7 -2 = 7 misses.

Nylithati recharge maddening visions
5(1d6) = 5 fails to recharge.

Nylithati shifts to D7.

Nylithati unhinging gaze vs Ref (-2 marked), Taka; Noriaki; Castile; damage
6(1d20) +7 -2 = 11; 5(1d20) +7 -2 = 10; 3(1d20) +7 -2 = 8; 3(1d6) +5 = 8 three more misses. The Big Bad is doing at least as poorly as any of the players, I think.

Off-Turn Stuff
Virtue of cunning: Castile, Noriaki, and Takahaan are eligible.
[/sblock]


CAVES OF THE MOTHER: ROUND 8

[sblock=Terrain]Terrain
The alcoves have piles of bones and other detritus in them (represented by brownish crud). They are difficult terrain. The rest of the floor is normal terrain.

The pillars are blocking terrain but they are round and don’t make hard corners.
[/sblock]

[sblock=PCs’ Off-Turn Actions]Interrupts, Reactions, and so forth are listed here to help me remember them. It would also help me if you specify triggers for these actions. If you don’t, I’ll try to use them in sensible places.

Black Fox
Virtue of Cunning (free action; ally is missed)

Castile
Combat Challenge (interrupt; adjacent marked target shifts or makes an attack that doesn’t include Castile)
Guardian’s Counter (interrupt; ally within 2 is hit by an attack that doesn’t include Castile)
Shield Edge Block (interrupt; adjacent enemy hits or misses Castile with a close or melee attack): used if it will turn a hit into a miss.
Bold Victory Armor (free; Castile or an ally within 5 bloodies an enemy)

Kane
Aegis of Shielding (interrupt; marked enemy hits a target within 10 and the attack doesn’t include Kane)
Channeling Shield (interrupt; an attack hits Kane or an ally within 10): used to prevent a big or bloodying hit.
Dimensional Vortex (interrupt; an enemy within 10 hits an ally with a melee attack): used if Kane can thump a non-minion with it.
White Lotus Riposte (no action; when an enemy Kane hits with an arcane at-will attack him before EoNT, that enemy takes 4 damage of the same type as the at-will dealt)

Noriaki
Shrug it Off (reaction; Noriaki is subjected to a save ends effect)

Takahaan
Guardian’s Counter (interrupt; ally within 2 is hit by an attack that doesn’t include Takahaan)
Vengeance is Mine (reaction; an enemy hits Takahaan)[/sblock]

[sblock=status]PCs
Castile (F7) HP 50+8/52; surges 6/13; AP used, SW used
Hú Lí (G8) HP 25/39; surges 4/8; AP used
Kane (J6) HP 33/44; surges 8/10; AP used
Noriaki (F5) HP 18/45; surges 7/9; AP used, bloodied
Takahaan (D5) HP 28/39; surges 5/8; AP used

Allies
Fey Beast HP (E5) 22/22
Imidoto (here? there? somewhere else?) HP 1 (minion)

Bad Guys
Ghoul 1 (N6) dead
Ghoul 2 (Kovack) (N8) dead
Nylithati (E5) 169 damage taken, maddening visions used, curse of M used, marked by Kane, bloodied, 2 APs used
[/sblock]

[sblock=Enemy Stats]Please read the appropriate block(s) only when necessary to resolve attacks or OAs.

[sblock=Ghoul]Ghoul
AC 21, Fort 17, Ref 19, Will 16; HP 63, bloodied 31
Claws +10 vs. AC, 2d6+6 and the target is immobilized (save ends).[/sblock]
[sblock=Nylithati]Nylithati
AC 19, Fort 15, Ref 17, Will 16; HP 220, bloodied 110
Staff of Corruption +9 vs. AC, 1d8+5 necrotic damage plus 1d8 poison damage and the target is pushed 2.
[sblock=Immediate Reaction (when Nylithati is hit by a creature adjacent to her)]Poison Spray: +7 vs Fortitude; if hit, the target is pushed 3 squares, slowed, and takes ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends both).[/sblock][/sblock]
[/sblock]

The fey beast closes in on the witch's flank as she moves away. Kane can feel her power waning, her will beginning to bend towards defeat. He steps out from behind the column and drives his magic towards her mind once more with a thrust of his blade. The cracks begin to appear. The undead witch howls in fury as she is beset from vengeful ghosts of the slaughtered victims of her past, leaving her open for attack. The fey beast does not hesitate to take advantage of their attacker's distraction, snapping out at the creature's ankle, tearing away a piece of dessicated flesh.

"You will fall, creature. This ends now."
[sblock=OOC] Kane: Move to I7
Fey Beast: Move to E6
Standard: Phantasmal Assault vs Witch

rolling ....

re: Missing: Indeed! Maybe we could all just decide to be friends? Call it a draw? hehehe ... just joking ... I'm going to roll a natural 20 this round! I can feel it! ... I was joking about that as well, of course.

... and Hit! By the narrowest of margins! But still a hit!

White Lotus Riposte Active: +4 psychic dmg if she attacks me next turn
Witch grants CAdv to everyone TENT and she takes +2 dmg from Fey Beast Aura

Interrupt Preference:
Aegis of Shielding to stop damage from her acid spray; especially to protect Noriaki
or Channelling shield to soften a blow from either Noriaki or Castile; especially to protect Noriaki
[/sblock]

Noriaki snarls as the withered witch draws away, and he slips around the others to get a good shot at her. As he passes Takahaan, he sees his opening. He rushes in, and the world seems to slow to standstill as Noriaki unleashes a strike with perfect timing and technique, severing Nylithati's foul head from her shoulders.


[sblock=Mechanics]
Move: back to D4
Standard: Charge to D6 w/Howling Strike
Attack Roll: Holy crits, batman!
Damage Roll: Normal damage of 1d12+2d6+8 maximizes to 32, plus 1d12 and 1d6 for 7 more, bringing us to 39, which kills her, by my count.

VICTOLY!

[/sblock]
[sblock=Noriaki]
Noriaki Matsumoto
Male Human Thaneborn Barbarian 4
Initiative: +5(+7 with Takahaan)
Passive Perception: 12
Passive Insight: 13
Senses: Normal

AC:20
Fort:20
Reflex:18
Will:16
HP:18/45
Bloodied:22
Surges left:7/9
Surge Value:11
Action Points: 0/1

MBA: +10 to hit, 1d12+8 damage
Howling Strike
Pressing Strike
Escalating Violence [x]
Shatterbone Strike []
Howl of Triumph []
Shrug it off [x]
Heroic Effort []
Second Wind []
Swift Panther Rage [x]


Conditions:

Action Surge: +3 bonus to attack rolls made during an action gained by spending an action point.

Horned Helm: +1d6 to charge damage

Battlecrazed Weapon: +1d6 damage when bloodied

Feral Might(Thaneborn Triumph): Whenever you bloody an enemy, the next attack by you or an ally against that enemy gains a bonus to the attack roll equal to your Charisma modifier(+2).[/sblock]

As the witch falls beheaded to the magnificent strike of Noriaki's sword Kane throws up his magical shield to protect him from the acid that sprays from her body in one last defiant act of vengeance.

Assuming the fight is indeed over:

"Jade. To me."

The command is more to see if the beast responds to his naming or not. It turns its head and looks at Kane quizzically. It pads over and presses against Kane's leg to receive his caress. Kane responds to the request scratching its chest, belly and then benath the chin.

"Jade it is then. Foolish brave c-creature. It as if y-you heard m-my thoughts and acted upon them. B-but you did n-not listen when I t-told you to s-stay."

As the magic leeks away from Kane's body his stutter returns. He grins wildly with approval at Jade's disobedience and courage. Kane approaches the fallen witch and comments to Noriaki: "M-master s-stroke. A th-thing of b-beauty. You g-gave her a n-noble d-death. I d-doubt she d-deserved one."

As Kane rests to shake the lingering pounding in his head left by the witch's intrusion into his mind, the treasure hunter in him awakes. He begins to search the rubble strewn alcoves for sparkly glittery things. He then checks the bodies of both ghouls and with if his companions have not done so already by the time he has finished sating his curiosity.

"And n-now ... another d-door."

His face beams with anticipation. "D-doors m-must be opened!"

[sblock=OOC] [MENTION=6676736]Pentius[/MENTION] Legendary way to end a fight!

Solomon will use Aegis of Shielding to protect Noriaki from any reaction provoked by his death blow.

Solomon searches the area thoroughly while we are resting, including the alcoves. He'll spend a surge to get back to full. He gains an AP as this is the 2nd encounter today. [/sblock]

[sblock=Kane Arcane]
PC:Kane Arcane (jbear1979) - L4W Wiki
Human Hybrid Swordmage | Wizard 4
Passive Perception/Insight 14
AC:22, Fort:17, Reflex:18, Will:18, Speed:6
HP: (+0 THP) 44/44, Bloodied:22, Surge Value:11, Surges left:7/10
Initiative +2
Action Points: 1 (encounter):

Conditions:

Powers
MBA: Dislocation Longsword +1, +7 vs AC, 1d8+2 damage
Cantrips,
Freezing Burst, Phantasmal Assault, Sword Burst
Grasping Shadows:
Aegis of Shielding:
Channelling Shield:
Dimensional Vortex:
Second Wind
Flaming Sphere: USED
Dislocation Longsword: USED
Amulet of Psychic Interference: USED


Combat notes:
Amulet of Psychic Interference: Kane makes a SThrow vs Charm, Fear and Psychic effects at the start of his turn; if he fails he does not get another SThrow to end them at the end of his turn
White Lotus Riposte: When an enemy Kane has hit with an At Will Power attacks him on his next turn, they take 4 dmg (type is equal to the damage type dealt by at will power)
Gauntlets of Arcane Might: Kane gains 2 THP when he hits an enemy he marks with an Arcane power
Shimmering Cloth Armor: Kane's ranged and area attacks do not provoke OAtks

Jade, Feybeast HP 22/22; AC 17 F/R/W 19/15/19
Perception +6
MBA: Claw: +9 vs AC; 1d12+2 dmg
Aura +2 dmg to all allies vs enemies in Fey Beast Aura
[/sblock]

With a massive stroke from Arashi Tenken, the monster’s head flies free of its collapsing body and comes to rest against the wall of the temple. The lips continue to move, though no sound emerges, and the eyes roll about grotesquely, as though seeking even in death to draw the adventurers into their evil influence. A few seconds later, the corpse is still.

Beyond the door at the far end of the hall is a smaller room. The only piece of furniture is a stone altar. The walls are carved with images of serpent-people performing spectacular feats of magic--summoning lightning storms, raising undead dwarven armies, and parting the waters of the sea to cause ships to be dashed to pieces on the exposed rocks below. Most of the carved walls are grimy and dull, but one wall, the one showing the parting of the waters, has been cleaned recently. Someone has carefully gone over these carvings, removing grime from the lines and hollows, and exposed several lines of writing. The language looks like an ancient form of Magari. Castile recognizes the style of the writing, but has no idea what it says; this sort of writing is now known only by priests.

The group explores the rest of the underground area thoroughly, but finds nothing else living or undead, save for some perfectly ordinary sea-life in a large area that is open to the ocean.

* * * * *

Over the next couple of days, the party moves their camp over to the lighthouse. The Irregulars set to work, covering the messy trash pit with earth and digging a new latrine; the smell in the camp subsequently becomes tolerable.

Pezock makes one trip back to his crab for supplies, then remains in the lighthouse night and day, becoming so obsessed with getting it to work that he has to be reminded to eat.

Jade (the dwarf, not the fey beast), climbs down into the caves to have a look at the writing in the temple. He says that the language is similar to Old Magari, but not quite the same, at least not how he learned it. He translates the text as follows:

TO COMMAND THE VERY TIDES TO RISE UP AND ESCHEW WHAT LIES BELOW:
EMPOWER THE FOUR SENTINEL RUNES WITH A SENTIENT’S BLOOD, TEMPERED BY A KISS OF THE TONGUE.

ANOINT THE TIDE STONE WITH WATERS BROUGHT FROM THE SEA IN A VESSEL OF PUREST METAL.

INVOKE THE LADY’S SACRED NAME TO WRAP HER COILS AROUND THE SEA ITSELF THAT SHE MIGHT LAY BARE WHAT LIES BELOW AND CAST DOWN YOUR ENEMIES ON THE WAVES ABOVE.

“De island must have belong once to the serpent folk,” says Jade. “Malinalxochitl was once a goddess of my people; but we never build anyt’ing such like.”

[sblock=questions about the future]With the cannibals (and their Mother) dead, it becomes reasonable to do some time-compression, as the major active threat on the island has been removed. From now on, if you want to explore any particular part of the island, I won’t worry about how long it takes.

I’m starting to feel like wrapping this up (I love this group, but I’m getting rather tired of 4e). In theory, it would be possible to end the adventure now (Pezock will fix the lighthouse within a few days, and then a ship can come and rescue you).

I suspect that people will want to confront Ieana and deal with her, though, so I could hasten the action in that direction if everyone wants to give her what for.

How does everyone feel about this?

In any case, there will be an experience award very soon![/sblock]

[sblock=The future] That's pretty disappointing to hear, at least for me. But if you're not having fun or enjoying yourself, it doesn't make sense for you to keep on. And you're the boss, so I'm okay with any decision you make.

Personally I'd be sad if this campaign ends.

What are the issues you are feeling with 4e? Maybe there is something we can do to alleviate them?

[/sblock]

[sblock=about the future]I've enjoyed this group, too, and I kinda don't want to disband. If we must, we must, but if there's something we can do to keep going, I say we do it. Even if that means switching systems and/or a new campaign with as many of us are as willing.[/sblock]